


You Turned my Mysteries Upside Down

by TVseries_notes



Series: A Price Above Rubies [1]
Category: La casa de papel | Money Heist (TV)
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:15:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 43,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23891434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TVseries_notes/pseuds/TVseries_notes
Summary: When Raquel found the Professor in Palawan she couldn’t believe her eyes. What could happen if they decide to spend their life together? Will Sergio be a good partner for her and a great father to Paula? And what could happen if something goes wrong with the other members of the gang and they are forced to reunite?Settled starting from one year after the State Mint robbery. Missing moments between Raquel and the Professor are narrated, as well as their new relationship with the members of the gang.“Porque has vuelto los misteriosdel revés”
Relationships: Raquel Murillo/Professor | Sergio Marquina
Series: A Price Above Rubies [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2009170
Comments: 63
Kudos: 319





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first work here on this site, I hope you will enjoy it!  
> Comments, kudos and suggestions are really appreciated!
> 
> I have to thank my friend Sara for reading this fanfiction in advance. Probably I would have never published it without her help <3
> 
> I DO NOT OWN MONEY HEIST and the characters do not belong to me. 
> 
> It contains possible SPOILERS of Part 3 and 4!

_“Tú vives siempre en tus actos._

_Con la punta de tus dedos_

_Pulsas el mundo, le arrancas_

_auroras, triunfos, colores,_

_alegrías: es tu música._

_La vida es lo que tú tocas._

_De tus ojos, sólo de ellos,_

_sale la luz que te guía_

_los pasos. Andas_

_por lo que ves Nada mas._

_Y si una duda te hace_

_señas a diez mil kilometros,_

_lo dejas todo, te arrojas_

_sobre proas, sobre alas,_

_estás ya allí; con los besos,_

_con los dientes la desgarras:_

_ya no es duda._

_Tú nunca puedes dudar. […]”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), I

* * *

Raquel Murillo was just landed in Puerto Princesa City, the biggest city in Palawan island. She was leaving the plane when she suddenly remembered about the day in _Hanoi_ with Sergio, when they chose the island in which to escape together.

_“Palawan, yes” he said._

_“It’s an island in the Philippines. It’s southwest of the arcipelago, a little to the north of Borneo island. Its population is 849000 more or less and the capital in Puerto Princesa.”_

She immediately started smiling. Sergio was like this, he knew everything and he was always talking about plans. _Her_ Professor was like this.

In the beginning, immediately after the robbery, Raquel didn’t know how to refer to Sergio. She met him as Salvador during the days of the robbery at the State Mint in Madrid, they dated for a few days but then she discovered that he was the Professor, he was the mind behind that robbery… and she was the inspector that was supposed to stop the criminals and bring them to justice. Initially she thought he was just using her, she felt betrayed, but then things changed and she decided to be at his side. That’s why she was fired from the Police the year before.

From that day she has been really mad at him because he escaped with the money but especially _without her_. She'd had a hard time at the beginning, when she found herself without a job and a wave of paparazzi always following her. The people have always been at the robber's side since the end of the heist and she was considered the traitor from both her colleagues and the rest of Spain.

She didn’t hear from Salva anymore, but Raquel was also very smart and soon realized that he didn’t have any other choice to save himself and her. For a long time, Raquel tried to hate him for leaving her behind and never coming back to save her but, for some reasons, she always trusted him deep down.

That's why she finally decided to refer at him with his real name. He was just Sergio.

And now, exactly one year later, she proved she was right believing in him and finally had the opportunity to fly to her Sergio from Spain, trying and hoping to find him.

Sergio had left her the postcards of the dreamy islands they considered to go living after the robbery and for a year she just innocently abandoned them inside a book. Only a few days back she got the courage to examine the postcards again and she found out that there were some geographic coordinates written behind them. She'd bought the first train to France, then a couple of flights with a false ID and she was going exactly there.

Raquel was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn’t immediately realize she was now in front of the airport. She opened her backpack and picked up her phone, then she quickly opened Google Maps and started walking.

* * *

Raquel walked for a couple of hours without stopping.

She didn’t even notice the fantastic market in the main street of the city. There were a lot of people, probably the whole city was there. Market stalls where showing any kind of manufactures, exotic fruits and animals, and peddlers were screaming in a strange language to catch the attention.

Colorful birds, probably parrots, were flying over her head. But Raquel didn’t care about all of this, her only thought was finding the place Sergio wrote on the postcards.

She stopped a couple of minutes later on the top of a green cliff and she tried to catch her breath. It was afternoon and it was October but she was on the other side of the world and the sun was shining and burning her shoulders.

Raquel took a look at her phone: she reached the place she was looking for! A wave of happiness passed through her body. Then she started looking around and noticed the beauty of that spot. She was in a garden gazebo surrounded by green leafs and in front of her there was just water and some sail boats in the sea. That place was amazing! But there was no trace of Sergio.

Something vibrated in her hand and brought her back to reality. _Low battery_. And her phone went out.

 _“_ _Fantastic”_ she thought with sarcasm _“I’m in an unknown island, I don’t know this people’s language and my phone is now off”_

Raquel realized that she forgot her phone charger on the first flight. She reflected for a minute, then decided to look for a house or a cafe in which she could charge her phone. She was now so impatient to find Sergio! And also, to be honest, she wasn’t so sure to really find him… Maybe she was just going crazy.

Raquel turned around, exited the gazebo and walked behind a big leafy tree. She noticed a cafe a few meters away from her so she ran there, with the phone in her hand.

The woman shook the device in front of her and caught the attention of the bartender.

“Excuse me, ehm…” she said in English with her Spanish accent “Do you have a charger?”

She was a little sheepish and she was trying to maintain a calm voice, but she immediately got annoyed when the bartender was just staring at her without answering. She took a deep breath and tried again.

“A charger please, for the phone. The battery died…”

From the bartender still no answer, but suddenly a male voice answered her in… _Spanish?_

“ _Si es importante, puede usar el mío._ ”

Raquel recognized easily that calm voice.

She turned her face and the man who talked did the same. Raquel sighted and a big smile appeared on Sergio’s lips. He was sitting a few meters away on one of the bar stools and he was a little embarrassed while smiling at her. Sergio was wearing a grey linen shirt with a white jacket on top. His hair were a little longer and lighter than she remembered and he was a bit tanned.

Raquel smiled back at Sergio. Then she ran to him and they kissed slowly, before deepening the kiss and the passion in it.

 _“Thank God, finally! He’s so hot”_ Raquel thought.


	2. The first sunset

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! This is the first real chapter of this fanfiction. I hope you like it!  
> Let me know what you think! Comments, kudos and suggestions are super welcome!

_“[…] Porque has vuelto los misterios_

_del revés. Y tus enigmas,_

_lo que nunca entenderás,_

_son esas cosas tan claras:_

_la arena donde te tiendes,_

_la inarcha de tu reló_

_y el tierno cuerpo rosado_

_que te encuentras en tu espejo_

_cada día al despertar,_

_y es el tuyo. Los prodigios_

_que están descífrados ya. […]”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), I

* * *

It was late afternoon and Sergio just docked his wooden boat to a little wharf. They were just arrived to a small island, about one hour in the north of the city of Puerto Princesa. Sergio jumped to the solid ground from the bow of the boat, then he turned and held out a hand to Raquel to help her jump. He thought he was dreaming. Sergio did that same route every day for a year, hoping to find her at the cafe he wrote on the postcards. But now that day was there and it seemed so unreal to him.

He looked at Raquel that was observing the immense beach and the crystal clear sea with a big smile. For the first time in a year he felt home in that place.

“Is this…” she asked him suddenly “ _yours?_ ”

Sergio started laughing, then his face turned serious and he whispered “No, this is _ours._ ”

“I mean…” she hesitated and turned to Sergio “Well, you know what I mean. Did you buy this island?”

“Ugh, well… not the _whole_ island. There’s a little typical village on it and of course I couldn’t buy that” he smiled, then seeing Raquel’s face he added “But ok, I bought a big part of this land. Every part except the village, actually. Let’s see, about 94 percent of this island is ours” and he fixed his glasses on his nose with his characteristic gesture.

Raquel showed a big smile and jumped in his arms to hug him. Then she looked in his deep brown eyes.

“A village! Wow! Can’t wait to visit it!” she said happily.

Sergio was surprised.

“Of course we’ll visit it” he said.

“But wait, I just told you I bought almost an entire island for us and you can’t wait to see the only part that is _not_ ours?” he asked her, a little bit annoyed.

“I’m happy to notice that you didn’t change so much in a year” she started laughing loudly “I was joking, you idiot!” and she kissed him gently.

Sergio returned the kiss and noticed that she didn’t change so much too. Neither the way he felt when she was around changed. He remember having a sort of feeling of freedom when she was with him. He'd always felt appreciated by her, like he'd never felt before. Sergio had always had that impression that Raquel didn't want to change him to love him, he was perfect as he was for her.

Thinking better about that situation, Raquel had just said he was _an idiot_. He knew he wasn’t and normally he would have replied to that, but now, with her, he just wanted to laugh because of the joke.

Anyway, he still couldn’t loose the control so he took a deep breath and remained serious before taking her hand in his.

“Come on, I’ll show you around” he said and led her across the beach, towards a cluster of palm trees.

* * *

It was 7.30 pm and Raquel was sitting on the white fine sand, staring at the sea in front of her.Her hands were touching the soft ground and she was looking at an amazing sunset: the sky was painted with shades of yellows, oranges and blues; she couldn’t see a single cloud above her and the sea breeze was still warm and comfortable on her skin. Raquel thought a sunset like that could only have been visible in such a place, with that clean and pure air.

She was so happy to be there, in that angle of paradise with Sergio, but she was also really tired because of the jet lag and wondering how her mother and daughter Paula were doing back in Spain. She already missed them so damn much.

Sergio was in the porch, sitting on a rocking chair and reading a book.

Reading had always been one of his favorite hobbies; he started appreciating it when he was 10 years old and he was stuck in a hospital bed due to his disease, and then he just continued doing it. Books were the only places that could make him feel less alone during his life. It was sad, but his life had never been very exciting until the robbery at the State Mint. He tried to shut out all the bad feelings about his past and to stay positive. 

From his location Sergio could see Raquel sitting on the sand. It was the best view he’d had in the last year. He immediately thought about how that woman changed his way to see the world. Everything was better since when he met he, and especially when they were together.

 _“Damn, she’s so beautiful”_ he thought _“even when she’s so tired and… maybe she’s hungry?”_

Sergio jumped on his feet and went to the kitchen. He prepared a couple of sandwiches, picked up a bottle of wine and some mangoes and put everything in a basket. Then he took a blanket and headed to the beach.

Raquel felt Sergio’s presence behind her before he could gently touch her shoulder with his hand. She turned to him with a big smile. He immediately put the blanket on the sand and the basket on the top of it, then he invited her to join him for the picnic.

“Come here, let’s eat something” he proposed as she started to come closer “But wait… please shake off the sand from you before sitting, I hate it” Sergio concluded.

She laughed at his weirdness but did as he asked before sitting next to him with her legs crossed. She bit her sandwich immediately. It was super tasty! Raquel could taste the flavor of the fresh tomatoes and cucumbers in it. She didn’t realize it before, but she was really hungry.

Sergio smiled at her. He noticed that she was appreciating his idea of the picnic and his food, so he relaxed a little and started eating too.

They stayed there for a long time, drinking wine and eating together. Raquel really liked the food, especially the succulent mangoes he brought. They talked a little and they both felt they knew each other since they were kids, even if the reality was really different. In fact, they dated just for five days before going separate ways and never meeting again for a year. That reunion was the best thing ever happened to them , to be honest.

In the meantime, the sun slowly set and the sky started to become darker; they could now see some of the brightest stars above them.

After dinner, Sergio was lying down on his side with the right arm holding his head and staring at Raquel. She was just lying on her back looking at the stars and thinking, with her messy hair on the blanket.

“What are you thinking about?” said Sergio, changing his position to lay on his back too and opening his right arm to reach her hand.

Raquel came closer and put her head on his shoulder. His arm was now behind her neck. Having her so close made all Sergio's fears go way. 

“Nothing specific” she answered “I’m just savoring the quiet of this place”

“Do you miss them?” he asked, anxious.

“A little…”

“But you know they can come here” he said with hope “You saw the house, it’s big enough for all of us, it could be our _home_ ”

“Sergio, I know…” she looked at the sky with a sad smile “But you also know that Paula needs to go to school and my mum… well, she’ll need help soon, she has Alzheimer's. Now my sister is taking care of them and you understand that we can’t give them what they’ll need if we’re staying here.”

Raquel turned to her left side to look at him.

“You don’t have to worry about all of this, Raquel. I’ve lived here alone for a year, I had time to plan…”

 _“Of course he’s talking about his plans”_ she thought.

“…to plan everything” he continued.

“There’s a nurse in the village, her name is Ana and she is available to help us with your mum. And Paula can go to the international school in Puerto Princesa. It’s fourty minutes from here, I can bring her there every morning with the boat.”

Raquel couldn’t answer him, her eyes were filling with tears of joy.

 _“Fuck, he’s unbelievable”_ she thought and then she kissed him passionately; she was so lucky to have him in her life.

They stayed like that for several minutes then Sergio finally looked at her with a big smile.

“I should take that as a yes, I suppose…” he said reluctantly and she nodded, showing a huge grin.

“Ok, let’s go inside and I will explain to you the whole plan to get them here. We can’t be found by the Police so…”he started talking while picking up the blanket and the basket and walking inside the house.

Raquel followed him inside, smiling. He was still talking about the plan and didn’t seem he was about to stop soon.

 _“He will never change, but I love him like this”_ she thought proudly.


	3. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thank to everyone who is liking my story!  
> I hope I can make it even more interesting with the next chapters

_“Yo no necesito tiempo_

_para saber cómo eres:_

_conocerse es el relámpago._

_¿Quién te va a ti a conocer_

_en lo que callas, o en esas_

_palabras con que lo callas?_

_El que te busque en la vida_

_que estás viviendo, no sabe_

_mas que alusiones de ti,_

_pretextos donde te escondes._

_Ir siguiéndote hacia atrás_

_en lo que tú has hecho, antes,_

_sumar acción con sonrisa,_

_años con nombres, será_

_ir perdiéndote. Yo no. […]”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), XII

* * *

Raquel opened her eyes suddenly. A subtle morning flare was illuminating the room around her.

It was a big bedroom with a lots of windows covered by white curtains and a glass door which gave access to the porch outside. A big double bed was in the middle of the room, that had its own bathroom with two sinks and a big bathtub.

The white tents and sheets reflected the glow of the morning sun still not risen. Windows were open because of the hot climate and the curtains were gently moving the warm wind.

Raquel couldn’t think of a more comfortable bedroom to sleep in. In fact, in the last few days, she caught up on all the sleep she had lost in the past year.

She looked at the clock on her bedside table. It was 5.47 am. Then she turned herself to see if Sergio was still sleeping. To her surprise, he wasn’t there. She looked outside the open windows and saw the calm of the morning sea. Then she noticed a tall figure standing some meters away from the porch, under a couple of trees, and she immediately realized it was Sergio.

Raquel quickly got out of bed and put her silk dressing gown on, then she exited the room to go to join him. She slowly got closer, her feet touching the white sand, and she hugged him gently from behind.

Sergio caressed her hands but Raquel noticed his lost eyes anyway. He was staring into the immense void of the sea and Raquel knew what, or rather who, he was thinking about. She gently kissed his muscled shoulder.

“An other nightmare?” she asked whispering.

He slowly nodded and his eyes became even more sad.

Raquel stayed there with her head resting on his tanned back, saying nothing. She didn’t want to ask anything because Sergio knew she was there if he needed to talk, and she didn’t want to force him. It was his decision to break his shield, open up with her and trust her.

“I always dream of him…” he sighted sadly after a while “I dream of Andrès” continued Sergio while caressing her hands and staring at the sea in front of them.

“Is it bad?” she asked confused. Raquel obviously knew who Andrès De Fonollosa was, but nothing more.

Sergio seemed a little annoyed in the first place. Of course it was bad, he had nightmares about his brother, who died to save him. Suddenly he realized she didn’t know the full story, she didn’t know about the blood relationship between him and Andrès. Also he understood she didn’t mean if the dream was bad; she meant if _the situation_ was bad for him.

“Kind of…” he answered with his calm voice “It has been better during the last days, since you’re here.”

“Oh, but I noticed you woke up a couple of times during the night this week anyway” said Raquel apprehensively.

To her surprise, she caught him smiling.

“You sleep so heavily…” said Sergio, calm “Four times to be precise. But I always look at you for some minutes, sleeping so peacefully, and I can fall asleep again.”

“You can watch me while I sleep anytime, but you can also wake me up if you need to” she sighted. She knew he was feeling better now so she kissed him slowly.

“Sergio you know you can open up with me, do you? You can talk to me about Andrès whenever you desire” whispered Raquel.

Sergio nodded but didn’t say a word, he just kissed her again more passionately.

The sun was starting to rise but they were still very tired, so they stopped kissing and went back to bed; they slept like babies for a few more hours.  
  


* * *

  
Raquel woke up late in the morning with a lovely smell of coffee and food coming from the kitchen. She left the room feeling very rested and also very hungry.

Sergio looked at Raquel coming into the kitchen; she seemed really happy while walking towards him and placing a soft kiss on his lips.

“Good morning” he whispered on her lips, then he turned and finished cooking the last pancake in the pan.

Raquel smiled and sat at the table, anxious. She started pouring the coffee in their mugs and eating a banana. The smell of the fresh breakfast was now very strong and she was starting to be even more hungry, so she was really happy when Sergio put a dish with some pancakes under her nose and sat in front of her.

“Thank you” she said.

“Can you pass me the maple syrup, please?” asked Raquel and they ate quietly, smiling to each other sometimes.

The pancakes were tasty. Raquel never really had the chance to know Sergio better in the last year and, during the last week, she had the opportunity to learn a lot about him, included that he was a really good chef.

He drank his last sip of coffee and started to wash the dishes in the sink.

 _“We will need a dishwasher when Paula and Marivì are coming”_ he thought, before feeling Raquel hugging him from behind.

“Can I ask you something?” Sergio asked, turning to watch his girlfriend in the eyes.

“Anything” she nodded.

“Do you ever have nightmares? Like… someone or something that is threatening your family?”

She hesitated then she asked “Is this about last night?”.

Raquel saw Sergio’s gaze: he hated when people answered a question with an other question. But with Raquel he learnt that this behavior was normal: asking questions was like a professional deformation to her and Sergio was starting to get used to it.

“Well…” continued Raquel taking a deep breath “During the robbery it happened a lot. In the few hours I could sleep, I never slept very well” she confessed.

“I’m sorry” he apologized “Now I know how you felt… It was all my fault”.

“Ehm, technically it was your father’s fault” she joked.

“He should never have talked to you about the heist. You were just a child.”

“But last year I wasn’t. I was more than a grown up man” Sergio smiled.

Raquel shrugged her shoulders.

“Maybe you’re right” she said. Now she really didn’t know how to help him more. She knew he was hiding something. There was something he wasn’t saying to her, but she fully couldn’t understand why he was acting like this. Raquel was starting to be a little frustrated about the situation.

Then Sergio started talking again with his characteristic calm voice.

“When I dream of Andrès… I’m often in the State Mint with him and he’s being shot. I try to jump in front of him but I’m always too late and he dies looking me in the eyes and smiling” he said sadly.

“Yes, I read the report of the operation from Suárez... Don’t ask me how I had it, I won’t tell you” said Raquel with a smart smile.

“Anyway, it’s not your fault. You did the best you could” she tried to confort him.

There was a big pause in that conversation. In that silence, Sergio was deciding if it was better to spill out everything to Raquel or not.

“He was my brother, Raquel… And not like all the others in the gang. He was my real brother, my half brother from my dad… we shared the same blood. And he died to save me and the rest of his companions” he finally confessed.

Raquel didn’t really know what to say, she would have never expected that. Especially because he told her the first three rules of the plan. She wasn't stupefied anymore he broke the 'no personal relationships' one, now that he'd just admitted he broke the other two since the beginning. But Sergio was smart and knew she would have needed a little time to elaborate the facts before reacting to this shocking revelation. Besides, to be honest, he was already starting to feel better now that he’d said that out loud.

Sergio looked directly in Raquel’s hazel eyes. They were so pure, so honest… he kissed her passionately, trying to forget all the bad feelings. He was with her now, they were about to create their own family and that was a good thing.

They were starting their new wonderful life from the beginning.

Sergio took an other deep breath and broke the silence of the moment.

“You’re right, Raquel. My dad should never have put us in that position. But I don’t regret anything. Finally we had our revenge, even if it costed my brother’s life”

He thought for a little bit then he concluded “Because of his disease he just had a bunch of months, maybe a year, to live anyway. He wanted to die on his terms, saving me, saving us. Plus, I met you thanks to that robbery.”

“And for this, I couldn’t be more grateful to your dad. And to Andrès that saved your life” she whispered in his ear “Stop worrying about that now. Go, get a shower and get dressed! You promised me to visit thelocal village, it’s been a week that I’m here now and I still didn’t had the chance!”

“Are you suggesting that I’m not a man of my word?” laughed him, squeezing her buttocks while kissing her.

“You’ll be better keep your word, _Profesor._ ”

About an hour later they were ready to walk together to the village to eat something typical and sightseeing during the afternoon.


	4. Librarian pajama

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!  
> Thanks to the one who liked and commented my story! I really appreciated :)  
> I hope you like this new chapter

_“[…] Y estoy abrazado a ti_

_sin preguntarte, de miedo_

_a que no sea verdad_

_que tú vives y me quieres._

_Y estoy abrazado a ti_

_sin mirar y sin tocarte._

_No vaya a ser que descubra_

_con preguntas, con caricias,_

_esa soledad inmensa_

_de quererte sólo yo.”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), XXXIX

* * *

The village was about half an hour walking from their house.

At the moment Raquel and Sergio were coming back home after spending the whole day there.

They had lunch in a little and cozy local restaurant, sitting on fluffy pillows on the wooden floor. They ate late, at around 3.00 pm. During that meal Raquel learned that the philippine traditional cuisine varies a lot: they have Chinese, Indonesian and Spanish dishes. She wanted to try a traditional dish so she ordered an _adobong manok_ , made with chicken cooked in vinegar. It was really tasty and she liked it very much!

Sergio, on the other hand, decided to choose a classical Spanish dish. When Raquel asked him why he chose that, he told her that he didn’t like to try too many new things and he had plenty of time to experiment since they were going to live there. She couldn’t replicate so she continued eating. Then, to conclude their lunch, they decided to split a _flan de leche_ as a dessert.

At the end of the meal they asked for the bill and Raquel tried for several minutes to convince Sergio not to pay her lunch, but he refused categorically. In the end he looked at her with his big brown eyes; he seemed so hurt that she surrendered and Sergio paid the bill.

In the afternoon they walked around the village holding their hands and Raquel could finally admire a traditional market since she didn’t enjoy the one in Puerto Princesa, because she wasdesperately looking for Sergio.

They bought some fresh exotic fruits at the market and Sergio insisted to buy a little slate statue representing a dog for Paula and a bag made of molave wood for Marivì.

In fact, Raquel’s family should have been there in a week and Sergio was so happy that they were coming that he wanted to thank them in some way, even if he knew that this would have never been enough. Since they chose to come, he was very conscious that it was the reason why Raquel decided to stay with him; she would have never left her family in Spain and stayed there with Sergio, leaving her mother and daughter with her sister Laura.

For this event, in a couple of days Raquel was going to leave Sergio for some days to go back to Spain and bring Paula and Marivì to Palawan. He didn’t want her to leave but he also knew very well what was the right thing to do for his girlfriend.

For all these reasons Sergio realized that in that moment everything was so calm and perfect in his life, and he decided to buy something traditional to welcome Raquel’s family to the island.

In some ways, they were going to be also _his_ family after all…

* * *

It was almost dark when Sergio and Raquel arrived on the beach in front of their home.

Their shoes were full of sand so they left them outside the door and entered. As Raquel learned in the last days, Sergio hated the sand so they decided not to bring it inside the house in every way possible.

“Are you hungry?” Sergio asked her.

“Not so much…” answered Raquel “We had a late lunch, I can eat a fruit and go straight to bed. What about you?” she asked in return.

“No, just a fruit and the bed will be ok. We walked a lot, you should be tired” he whispered, kissing her and emptying the bag on the table in the kitchen.

“Mango or banana?” asked Sergio but she was already picking up a banana.

Sergio watched silently his girl eating the fruit and after a couple of seconds he found himself imagining naughty things as a teenager that couldn’t control his hormones. He suddenly felt the need to hug her, kiss her, touch her and have her but, as he told her before, Raquel must have been tired because of the long walks.

“I’m going to have a long relaxing bath!” announced Raquel happily “There’s no need to wait for me awake, you can sleep if you’re tired”

She kissed him slowly, her hands in his soft and curly hair, and left the kitchen immediately after.

Sergio nodded at her back, frowning a little, then he walked to the bedroom and put on his pajama. He laid down on the bed for what seemed an eternity; he couldn’t catch his sleep, even though he tried very hard, because his brain couldn’t stop working too much and thinking.

Later he heard the relaxing sound of the shower and then Raquel moving in the bathtub; probably she was washing the soap away from her body.

Sergio started imagining her body again. It was so perfect to him. Her skin should have been a little tanned now, after a week in the exotic place, and her brown hair wet because of the shower. He traveled with his fantasy for several moments, but he suddenly returned to reality when he heard the door of the bathroom opening.

Raquel was standing there with _his_ bathrobe on and her long, wet, brown hair were gently falling on her shoulders. She was staring at him.She wasn’t surprised to see he was still awake and looking at her with dreamy eyes.

“ _Quítate ese pijama de bibliotecario_ ” ordered Raquel in Spanish.

Sergio was a little confused. Did she just told him he was wearing a _librarian pajama_? He looked at himself and then smiled to her.

She was slowly coming closer and sitting on the bed, in front of him.

“This is my favorite pajama” he whispered as a reply, a little hurt but laughing. He knew she was mocking him and didn’t mean to offend.

Raquel suddenly jumped over Sergio with a smile and started unbuttoning his shirt slowly.

He kissed her and unfastened the belt of the bathrobe she was wearing. Obviously she was naked under it, so her tanned skin was now visible in the twilight of the growing moon outside. She was just as he remembered and imagined a few moments before.

Sergio’s hands ran on her buttocks before moving on her breasts. He started kissing her breathless, while she was undoing his pants and underwear, then his mouth traveled down her jaw, her neck and finally her collarbone. He slowly moved his mouth down and started kissing her nipples gently. Her nipples tightened and her entire body was arching towards him. She immediately felt a wave of pleasure running inside her and started breathing harder, then she touched his intimacy and started kissing his lower belly softly. They continued kissing and pleasing each other until they both became more excited and were ready to come. Raquel was over Sergio and he was inside her, moving and gasping with a synchronized rhythm of their bodies and breaths.

Finally, after a year, they were loving each other freely, without pressures or barriers. They were finally together and happy.

When they finished, Raquel let her body slide over him and Sergio hugged her gently, caressing her back.They relaxed slowly and their breaths lost their rhythm and slowed. The couple fell asleep in a few minutes, both really tired but happy.

Surprisingly, that night Sergio didn’t dream of his brother.


	5. Terrified

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I wanted to thank you again for all your likes and kind comments to my story! I'm really happy you like it!

_“¡Si me llamaras, sí,_

_si me llamaras!_

_Lo dejaría todo,_

_todo lo tiraría:_

_los precios, los catálogos,_

_el azul del océano en los mapas,_

_los días y sus noches,_

_los telegramas viejos_

_y un amor. […]”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), IV

* * *

“Sergio, where are you?!? I’m ready to go!”

Raquel’s shouting came suddenly from inside the house.

Sergio was sitting in the porch on the wooden steps at the entrance. It was a sunny day as always, the sun was reflecting on the sand and he could see the heat coming from the ground. Anyway, that morning Sergio was seeing everything so dark and sad that, instead of being on a sunny exotic beach, he felt like he was in the middle of a storm.

Even if he just had the best and most intense two nights with his girlfriend, Sergio couldn’t stopthinking that he didn’t want Raquel to leave at all. She was supposed to be back in about a week but he wasn’t comfortable with the idea, to be honest. Sergio knew he was being really selfish in that moment; after all, she was just going back to Spain to take her family and bring it there to stay together.

But the truth was that he was scared to death, he was terrified.

Sergio heard some steps behind him and felt a hand gently posing on his shoulder, but he didn’t turn to look at Raquel.

She immediately understood that something was wrong with him, so she decided to put down the bag with the necessary things for the trip and sit next to him on the steps. Raquel placed her left hand on his leg and caressed him slowly, looking at him and waiting. She noticed that Sergio wasstarting to relax and then he finally sighed.

She mentally praised herself and showed an imperceptible smile on her lips, because she knew her methods would have worked on him and Sergio had just unconsciously proved she was right.

“Is everything ok?” Raquel asked quietly.

Sergio continued to avoid her gaze and to look at the beach in front of him, but he noticed that he was already feeling a little bit better. Raquel was still looking at him with loving as well as impatient eyes.

“Sergio, are you ok?” she tried to ask again.

This time she captured Sergio’s attention and he turned to her, his elbows on his knees.

“Yes, I’m fine. We should go or we’ll be late for your flight” he answered.

Raquel looked at him, disappointed.

She still couldn’t understand him completely because they didn’t spend so much time together in the past year, but she used to be an Inspector for the Police and she knew very well when someone was lying. She felt a little bit mocked, like all her work was a joke for him.

“So, we have a problem.” she said and Sergio looked a little bit shocked.

“We have a problem because I will be late for that flight if you don’t speak to me right now. I’m not going anywhere until you open up with me.”

Now Sergio was really shocked, he definitely didn’t see that coming.

“You… you’re right. I’m not ok” he mumbled.

“Oh, and what’s happening?” asked Raquel, feeling a little more satisfied but also a bit more sad for him.

“I’m sad because you are leaving…” Sergio said.

Then, probably because he saw Raquel’s incriminating eyes, he rapidly fixed his glasses on the nose with his characteristic gesture before correcting himself.

“I am _terrified_ because you are leaving!”

“And why should you be _terrified_? I will be ok! We did everything right, didn’t we? I have all the fake documents I need and the tickets. I’ll be back in a week with my mum and Paula and you will barely have noticed that I left. You arranged every single movement, I’ll be more than fine!”

“This is not about my plan. My plan is clearly perfect! This is about… this is about _you_!” shouted Sergio that was starting to get angry.

“About… _me_?” Raquel asked confused.

“Don’t let me say it again, please!”

Sergio’s eyes were shining while he suddenly got up.

“Yes, it is about you and I was sure you wouldn’t understand. That’s why I didn’t want to talk about it! And all of this…” said Sergio with a circular movement of his hands “…it seems like an interrogation to me. All these questions. You’re my girlfriend here, you’re not the Inspector! Not anymore!”

Now Raquel was the one who was shocked and also a little bit hurt. She got up too, clenching herfists and facing him, and started talking louder.

“Why is it about me? You don’t want my family here? Do you want me all for yourself? Gosh, you are being so selfish! Yes, I’m your girlfriend and that’s why I thought we agreed on my mom and daughter coming here… _you_ arranged that! The school for Paula, the nurse for my mother… Remember? Don’t you want this, Sergio? If you don’t, please, speak now because I won’t…”

“…come back here.” Sergio ended the sentence for her, dejected “You will not come back, I know… I understand…” he continued.

“That’s not what I was going to say!” said a very disappointed Raquel.

“So what were you going to say?” he asked, curious.

“Oh, and do you care now?!”

“Of course I care, Raquel!” exclaimed Sergio.

He couldn’t fail to notice that now Raquel was really mad at him and hurt. He was starting to be a little bit tired of this conversation, he wished it to be over soon.

“Look…” he started talking again, this time trying to show his calm voice, and tried to take her hand without succeeding “I am terrified that, once you will be in Madrid and reunited with your family, you’ll start feeling at home again and you will start to forget me. I’m terrified that, once you’ll be there, you’ll never come back here! You will never come back _to me_ , because you’ve noticed yourself that I’ve nothing to give you!”

His body was composed as always but, from his calm voice, a little despair was showing.

In the meantime, Raquel’s eyes were filling with tears. Then, suddenly, she looked directly in his eyes and slapped him in the face.

Sergio caressed his left cheek with his hand. He didn’t see that coming too.

 _“I am starting to think slower, she already surprised me twice this morning”_ he thought.

Then Raquel exploded.

“ _I won’t stand it!_ That’s what I was going to say, you idiot! I will not stand you being sad because of me or because of my family! If you’ll have to sacrifice your life here for us, I won’t stand it!” she screamed.

“And… what does _‘I’ve nothing to give you’_ _precisely_ mean, eh? Are you crazy?! You have a dreamy island for us and you can finally give me a family, filled with love from people that I love and hopefully you will love too! Just as we wanted since the beginning of our relationship! You can give me everything I’ve ever dreamed of. To be honest, you gave me the best moments since the first day we met. So, fuck your stupid thoughts, of course I’ll come back! Fuck you for thinking it was so easy to get rid of me!”

Raquel was standing with her hands on her hips.

After that outburst Sergio had literally nothing to say.

“Now stop complaining, be a gentleman and take my bag on the boat as a real boyfriend. We have to go to the airport quickly or I will really loose my flight” Raquel ordered, pointing a finger to the bag on the floor and raising an eyebrow.

While Sergio was picking it up he noticed she was smiling; no, she was _laughing_. Probably she had just realized it was the first time they were fighting and, as he realized it too, he started laughing with her because of the situation.

* * *

They arrived at the airport one hour and a half before the flight, just in time.

Raquel got out of the car and Sergio did the same, opening the trunk to give her the bag.

She smiled at him and kissed him quickly.

“I’ll miss you” whispered Raquel on his lips “But remember I am still mad at you. You will see when I’ll be back…” she threatened him as a joke.

“I’ll miss you too, Raquel. See you in a week” Sergio answered, smiling.

She took her bag and started walking towards the entrance.Then Sergio realized something and run to her, grabbed her wrist and reminded her the number one rule.

“Don’t try to contact me in any way. I know your flights, I’ll be here at your return to take the three of you home. But, remember, no phones, no exceptions.”

He got a bigmouth as an answer and Sergio realized she understood him very well.


	6. She is back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening everyone!  
> This chapter is a more reflective one. I felt the need to analyze what the characters were thinking deep inside.  
> I hope I did it well and you like it!
> 
> Thank you again to everyone that left comments or likes! :)

_“[…] Tambien detrás, más atrás_

_de mí te busco. No eres_

_lo que yo siento de ti._

_No eres_

_lo que me está palpitando_

_con sangre mía en las venas,_

_sin ser yo._

_Detrás, más allá te busco._

_Por encontrarte, dejar_

_de vivir en ti, y en mí,_

_y en los otros._

_Vivir ya detrás de todo,_

_al otro lado de todo_

_—por encontrarte—,_

_como si fuese morir.”_ ****

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), III

* * *

Raquel’s point of view

Raquel was already on her last flight back to Palawan. She was coming back home. She was terribly missing Sergio and their dreamy island, the sea and the sand.

But, despite all, the week spent in Spain had flown for her. She was so happy to hug her little girl again and to see how her mum was doing that she almost forgot to follow the plan for the first two days. Then, she realized she had to hurry and pack everything in order to perfectly escape that country together with her family. Since then she had been so busy all the time to think about anything other than the journey. At the time, she just smiled for a moment thinking about Sergio’s face if he was ever informed she was procrastinating and not following his perfect plan step by step. She remembered how scared he was the day she left the island and that was why she was so determinate to not disappoint him.

Raquel turned herself to find a more comfortable position on that plane’s seat. She got the seat in the middle because her mum asked for the corridor one to stretch her legs forward and Paula ran through the corridor as soon as she got on the plane to catch the window. Raquel was just too tired to protest, after two days of travels by ships and planes, so she seated in the middle and watched them falling immediately asleep while she couldn’t rest in any way.

She thought of how much she loved them to let them have everything they wanted, instantly. She wasn’t that kind of permissive mum or daughter one year before. She’d always tried to appear and act as a strong woman: she tried not to spoil Paula too much despite the situation in which she was living. After all, her parents were separated and her dad had a restrictive order over her mum. But in that moment all Raquel could think about was that she was, to all effects, kidnapping her sick mother and her minor daughter, according to the Spanish government. They didn’t care if her ex husband was a violent man, but instead she would have had the label _“wanted”_ on her head for the rest of her life. The entire system in which she used to believe and work was now turning against her and her beloved ones.

_“Why don’t you want to hear me? Because I’m a bad guy? You’ve been taught to see everything as good or bad”_

She remembered Sergio’s words in the hangar. He had always known how screwed the system was.

Despite all, Raquel knew what she was doing was right because she was doing it for love, because she loved her family and she loved Sergio. She had thought very well about what she wanted in her future and had soon realized that her boyfriend was the one who could help her hide and live her best life at the same time.

She was running away from a life that devoured her in the last years, especially since the end of the heist at the State Mint, and for that she couldn’t be more grateful to Sergio. So fuck the system!

She suddenly remembered when Sergio was trying to explain the purposes of the robbery.

_“To get away from it all. Don’t you want to get away?”_

God, yes! Of course she wanted to! Especially now that her violent ex husband Alberto was trying to obtain the custody of her daughter!

She looked at Paula, her sweet innocent 8 years old girl, sleeping peacefully with her head on the plane’s window, and understood she would have to explain a lot of things to her when she would have asked for it. And she also immediately understood Sergio’s fear. He was trusting his Raquel, even if she came from a work context in which she could have easily betrayed him. He gave her the opportunity to go back to Spain to bring her family in Palawan with them, even if the risk to him to get caught in the process was really high. He was going to be a dad from one day to an other. He asked to have an old woman with Alzheimer at home in exchange of nothing.

All he was doing, he was doing it for Raquel. And she just got angry to him and screamed because he was scared.

 _“What an asshole I am”_ Raquel thought before finally falling asleep.

* * *

Sergio’s point of view

For Sergio, who had much more money he ever needed in a lifetime, planning the transfer of his girlfriend’s family to the other side of the world without being tracked had been simple in the theory. On the other hand it wasn’t so simple to deal with the idea that he should have been a dad in a couple of hours. Not to think about the idea that was showing up in his head, the fear of being betrayed by Raquel.

_“I’m with you”_

While he was going to the airport with his boat, that four word sentence echoed in Sergio’s head.

Raquel said that words about one year before showing up in the Philippines. At the time, he had tied her in his hangar because he needed to complete the last part of the plan. He needed to help his team escape the State Mint safely. Well, as safe as possible, because he’d already lost two members and he couldn’t stand loosing or hurting an other one.

He had to tie Raquel because he already knew very well what she was capable off. Sergio could still remember the physical, but mostly moral, pain he felt when she bit and kicked him. He knew she was desperate in that moment and she did it with all the energy she had left.

But in the end he managed to convince her to be at his side and, right now, he still couldn’t understand why she decided that way. Then, one year later, she came to Palawan just for him, after all. He always hoped Raquel could find the coordinates and join him, but he never really believed it could have happened.

Even given all of this, Sergio’s mind was too strict and calculative to ignore the fact that she could always betray him in any moment, simply calling someone from a phone and letting the Police locate him. He knew that letting her come back to Madrid for her family was a real high risk.For this reasons, and maybe also because of his low self-esteem, he still couldn’t believe that words she said to him.

_“I’m with you”_

And for this reasons Sergio now needed to trust them in every way possible. He had to trust her. She was his salvation now that he had completely lost the control.

_“It was the only crack in an otherwise perfect plan”_

_“Do you think it was my plan to fall in love with the inspector in charge?”_

_Sergio_ told that words to her in the hangar. It was the first time he was admitting his errors and opening himself up to anyone, especially to an almost stranger. He never did it, definitely never to a _woman_.

 _“You have to trust her. Sergio, you have to trust her”_ he repeated these words in his head, trying to convince himself and appear less scared. His mind went back to a conversation he had with his brother Andrès, when he decided to reveal everything about their plan to a woman he was going to marry. Sergio was trying to follow his advice and believe in his woman, believe in someone other than himself for once.

Now that he was in the middle of the sea and the wind was messing up his brown and curly hair, he couldn’t be fully happy. He realized he was worrying mostly about everything. About Raquel not coming back. But, if she came back, could he ever be a good man for his beloved and a good father to her daughter? Could he ever manage all of this?

Sergio in that moment was just terrified and he didn’t know that Raquel had just fallen asleep on a plane, while she was coming to him more decided of this big change and more in love than ever.

* * *

Sergio was impatiently waiting outside the airport.

The plane should have landed almost an hour before but there still wasn’t sign of Raquel or her family. It was so hot that Sergio was sweating and had to take off his jacket in order not to faint. This wasn’t normal to him, probably his body was reacting that way also because he was really nervous.

Sergio couldn’t believe it, when he saw Raquel leaving her daughter’s hand and running towards him to jump on him. He caught her and hugged and kissed her passionately.

She was back.

Sergio sighed with immense relief.


	7. Paula Vicuña Murillo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! Here's the new chapter!  
> Let me know what you think with Paula in the comments!
> 
> Again, thank you to everyone who left kudos or comments! I really appreciate it! :)

_“Perdóname por ir así buscándote_

_tan torpemente, dentro_

_de ti._

_Perdóname el dolor, alguna vez._

_Es que quiero sacar_

_de ti tu mejor tú._

_Ese que no te viste y que yo veo,_

_nadador por tu fondo, preciosísimo. […]”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), XLI

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Raquel brought her family to Palawan and Sergio definitely couldn’t saythings were going great. The opposite, to be honest. Everything was a mess.

Raquel’s mother was sicker than he expected. Marivì forgot almost everything, sometimes she switched her daughter’s with her granddaughter’s name, and she was continuously asking her nurse Ana to call Raquel at the police station. Fortunately, in these cases, Ana called Raquel and she was always able to calm her mum with a few words. Of course the old woman had better and worst days but the latter were definitely the majority.

In addition to this there was Paula. She hadn’t said almost a word since she got to the island and, especially, she’d never spoken directly to Sergio. Raquel tried more than once to reassure him that her daughter just needed some time to adapt to the new life, but he didn’t quite believe it. She was a smart kid, he knew something was bothering her and he also had the feeling that Raquel knew what was bothering the girl but didn’t want to talk to him about her daughter’s problems, in order not to worry him. Instead, Sergio was more worried than ever in his life.

After dinner Raquel was sitting on the sofa in the living room, her head on Sergio’s shoulder, and she was watching her daughter drawing a turtle on her diary, while she was sitting on the floor. Sergio, next to her, was curved on some red paper sheets trying to make some origami. Raquel knew he used to make origami when he was nervous and needed to think or to concentrate, so she was a little worried for him.

_“I will not stand you being sad because of me or because of my family! If you’ll have to sacrifice your life here for us, I won’t stand it!”_

Her own words were now echoing in her head. Clearly, Sergio wanted this but he wasn’t comfortable and happy in his own house.

A figure entered the living room and brought Raquel back to reality. She raised her head and Sergio did exactly the same, while Paula was too focused in drawing.

“Miss Raquel. I’m sorry to bother you…” said nurse Ana looking at the perfect family picture she had in front of her.

“Your mother is in her bed but she doesn’t want to sleep” continued the nurse with her philippine accent.

“Don’t worry Ana, I’ll take care of it” said Raquel, quietly “You can go home and… thank you” she concluded.

She immediately got up and went to her mother’s bedroom. In the meantime Sergio got up too and opened the door to the nurse to let her go home.

“See you tomorrow Ana, thanks. _Salamat_ ” he said before closing the door behind her.

Sergio returned on the sofa and tried to focus on his origami again. He simply couldn’t because Paula had just finished her drawing and her look was now clearly focused on him. For Sergio it was impossible to concentrate while his partner’s daughter, who was still not speaking to him, was staring at him with a mixture of curiosity and aggressiveness in her eyes.

Sergio tried to collect the courage to talk first.

“Do you want to try?” he finally said, extending a new paper sheet to Paula.

The child looked confused because of the question and Sergio understood immediately that he made a horrible mistake trying to approach her first. She clearly wasn’t ready, not yet. He was almost withdrawing his arm and blaming himself for his stupidity, when Paula took the sheet from his hand.

“I’m not able to do it, I’ve never did it before. Can you teach me?” the girl asked, with her big eyes still looking into Sergio’s ones.

_“Teach her, of course!”_ Sergio said in his head _“You can teach her. You are the Professor!”_

“Of course, we can do it together” he finally answered with a lot of hesitation.

He knew he needed to calm down, she was just a child, but that was the main reason he couldn’t be comfortable in the situation. Sergio was definitely out of his comfort zone. He never imagined someone could ever make him feel that way, so insecure. But it was happening, and now, and he needed to find a way to deal with it if he wanted Paula to like him.

Sergio tapped on the couch next to him, where Raquel was sitting a few minutes before, and Paula quickly got up from the floor and seated there.

“Which origami do you want to make?” Sergio asked to Paula, fixing his glasses on the nose. Then he saw confusion in the child’s eyes and she wasn’t answering so he started to explain something about the origami to her.

“We can make mostly any animal you want, for example” he concluded.

“What about a turtle?” asked Paula, full of hope.

“Like the one you drew on your diary?” Sergio asked the girl and she nodded, so he picked up a piece of red paper too and started “Follow me and repeat the passages with your sheet, so next time you’ll remember them and you could do it alone. Understood?”

Paula nodded again and started making her origami together with Sergio, her tongue between her teeth. She did very well for the first half of the steps, then she stopped and returned quiet.

“Is everything ok? Do you need help?” asked Sergio apprehensively.

“You are not my dad” the little girl suddenly said.

Sergio was shocked for a second, then he put himself back together again.

“You’re right, I am not your dad” he said slowly. He would have liked to add a _“fortunately”_ at the end of his sentence but he was sure Paula wouldn’t appreciate it. Besides, she was just eight years old and Sergio wasn’t really sure how much she knew about his dad beating her mother. He decided not to touch that area with the little girl and noted in his head to talk about it to Raquel later.

“I know you are not my dad. It wasn’t a question. But I have some questions for you” Paula continued.

_“She should have taken that ‘question thing’ from her mother”_ Sergio thought with a smile.Then he opened his arms and nodded, a clear sign he was open to any question.

“So, how should I call you?” the girl asked impatiently. 

“Sergio is my name, so you can use that” he answered, thinking that the first question was easier than he expected.

The girl seemed pretty much satisfied.

“Where are you from and how old are you?” continued Paula after a few seconds.

“Well, I am 42 and I was born in Spain, in San Sebastian. Its a little city in the North, in…”

“I know where San Sebastian is” Paula interrupted him “It’s in the Basque Country”

Sergio would have normally hated if someone interrupted him while speaking, but that wasn’t a good moment for him to get angry. Plus he really liked that Paula knew Spain’s geography. He almost felt… _proud?_

“And what’s your job? Do you even have one?” Paula asked again.

“Of course I have. I’m a Professor. I teach, but not to kids. My students are mostly adults. I also do some research”

“Like at the university?”

“Like at the university” Sergio confirmed. 

There was an awkward silence in which Paula was probably evaluating if she was satisfied about Sergio's answers or not.

“Do you love my mum? I mean, do you _really_ love her?” asked the girl after a bit.

An other question like that and Sergio thought he could have died.

“Yes, I love her very much” answered Sergio, immediately. Then he thought a little about that. “But I haven’t told her yet, not like _that_ , so this must be our little secret. Can you do it for me?” he continued.

Paula looked confused for a second and raised her right eyebrow just as her mum was used to do when she was perplexed, until she finally nodded.

“Do you want to marry my mum?” the girl finally asked.

Sergio nearly chocked in his spit because of that question. He didn’t know how to answer that. They’ve never talked about that seriously.

Paula started laughing uncontrollably.

“That was a trick question, you dummy!” she said between her laughs “Your face turned completely red! Like this piece of paper!” she continued joking, showing the origami in her hand.

_“Ha, really funny”_ he thought for a moment, before realizing _it was_ actually funny and starting laughing too.It took a few moments for them to turn serious again.

Both Paula and Sergio put their completed red origami turtles on the little table in front of them. Sergio realized he went on with the passages while answering Paula’s questions and she followed him step by step in the meantime. Her turtle looked quite similar to his. That little girl was _really_ smart.

“Good job, girl!” he whispered in her ear, patting her on the shoulder.

“Grandma is asleep, now it’s time for the other women in this house to go to bed!” announced Raquel while entering the living room. She noticed the new origamis and Paula sitting next to Sergio with a visibly happy face. Raquel showed Paula her hand and the latter reluctantly took it.

“Come on, little monster. You can play more tomorrow” said Raquel pulling her daughter towards her bedroom.

“Good night” said Sergio to the child.

The two girls turned.

Paula spelled what seemed like a _“Good night, Sergio”_ on her lips, and Raquel showed a big smile full of love to her boyfriend. She definitely needed to know what happened between that two.


	8. Lisbon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> Here I am with a new chapter! Hope you'll enjoy it!
> 
> Thanks to everyone who commented or left kudos again! I'm really happy about them! :)

_“Se te está viendo la otra._

_Se parece a ti:_

_los pasos, el mismo ceño,_

_los mismos tacones altos_

_todos manchados de estrellas._

_Cuando vayáis por la calle_

_juntas, las dos,_

_¡qué difícil el saber_

_quién eres, quién no eres tú!_

_Tan iguales ya, que sea_

_imposible vivir más_

_así, siendo tan iguales._

_Y como tú eres la frágil,_

_la apenas siendo, tiernísima,_

_tú tienes que ser la muerta._

_Tú dejarás que te mate_

_que siga viviendo ella,_

_embustera, falsa tú,_

_pero tan igual a ti_

_que nadie se acordará_

_sino yo de lo que eras. […]”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), L

* * *

“Hey, you two! Lovebirds!” screamed the voice of an old woman coming from inside the house.

“Paula asked me to cook tortillas for dinner, she’s working with me an Ana on them this afternoon!” continued Marivì winking at Raquel.

Sergio looked at the woman with a smile then turned to see his girlfriend’s reaction, seeking her approval. She seemed pretty happy of that announcement, actually.

“Today is a good day, I suppose” whispered Raquel to Sergio shrugging her shoulders and looking into his eyes with an innocent glance.

“And I suppose… we have the afternoon for ourself” he guessed before getting closer to Raquel and starting kissing her passionately. He was so happy they could spend some time together, far from the kid and the _‘house problems’._

“Are you teasing me, Sergio?” asked Raquel who interpreted the kiss as an excuse to start taking off their clothes. Not that they were wearing a lot of them, that afternoon was really hot, but anyway…

“As you wish, my dear” answered Sergio.

“But yesterday you told me we should have talked about something before unfairly falling asleep in my bed” he added. Raquel seemed a little disappointed but she knew he was right and they needed to talk. It wasn’t urgent, but hey didn’t have the opportunity to do that during the days, or better the months, they spent there together. Paula still hadn’t started school so se was around 24/7 and Marivì had more downs than ups since that day. And this definitely wasn’t the kind of night conversation they liked, they preferred to spend the latest energies of the day in other.

It seemed like Sergio felt Raquel’s thoughts and looked confused before continuing to talk.

“As a good Professor I thought it was my duty to remind you that” he said with a glance that wasclearly showing the words _‘not guilty, your fault’._

Raquel took Sergio’s hand in hers and started pulling him along the shoreline. They were silent and walking slowly, trying to enjoy every moment. They clearly needed to find the time to do that sunset-walk on the beach more often.

“You’re doing great with Paula” Raquel started talking again with a big smile.

“Am I?” Sergio asked back and she nodded.

He really was and she was so happy and grateful to him because of that. She knew that her daughter was smart enough to learn how to deal with the new situation she was forced in, but Raquel never expected her to be so comfortable so soon. Sergio was doing a good job with Paula too, trying to entertain her and to teach her new games.

Sergio fixed his glasses on his nose, typical of him when he was uncomfortable.

“Thanks to my tricks, probably. Your daughter really likes making up stories with the origamis I taught her to make. And she’s starting to understand some tactics…” he finally said.

Raquel looked scared because of the tactics-thing, though.

“Don’t worry, no robberies involved. It’s just chess. She’s learning quickly” Sergio added chuckling to reassure her. She squeezed his hand as a response.

“She is smart, I know. She’ll do great at school here. You know she has to start going with the new year, right?” the woman said. They already agreed on that but it’s always better to repeat things, anyway. Sergio seemed convinced also this time.

“Do you miss your team?” Raquel suddenly asked. That question came unexpected to Sergio.

“Not really…” he finally answered.

“Don’t lie to me. They’re your friends”

“Friends? Well, two of the first rules of my plan were no names and no personal relationships. Can I call them friends?”

“Yes, of course. And look where your stupid rules led us” Raquel teased him, laughing.

“Technically, you weren’t contemplated in my plan. Not this way” he defensed himself.

“As if I didn’t notice the relationship between Silene and Aníbal… Should I remind you who found them going inside the State Mint for a preliminary inspection of the cameras?”

Sergio rolled his eyes. She was right.

“I do miss them sometimes. But I’m pretty good here with you so you don’t have to worry: I won’t run away form this messy home” he admitted, joking a bit.

“I’m not scared of that, I know you can’t resist me” she laughed “I just want to be like all of you”.

“Could you articulate your last sentence better, please?”

“I mean… They all have city names, you know. Tokyo, Rio, Berlin…”

“You don’t have to remind me that, thanks. And, right now, their only name is the one on the fake ID I gave them before going separate ways. They won’t need city names anymore” Sergio said, annoyed after hearing his brother’s city name.

“Ok _Profesor_ , I will not touch that precise delicate area anymore…”

“Which city would you choose? I mean, if you had the chance…” He suddenly asked her.

She seemed perplexed.

“Did the others choose theirs?” Raquel asked. For some reason she thought the names were just assigned random.

“They… expressed their preference I’d say” Sergio answered. Actually Tokyo, Nairobi and Berlin refused to take the name he decided so they chose theirs, but the other members simply didn’t protest. So his answer wasn’t really true, but it didn’t matter now.

“I’d like to take Lisbon” the girl announced.

“Lisbon? And why’s that?”

“I really liked the city. And the food there. I used to go to Portugal with my family during summerholidays when I was a kid. We visited Lisbon every year since I got admitted to the Police Academy. That same year my dad died so… I guess it can be a good tribute” explained Raquel, quietly. Her eyes were shining while she was talking.

“Lisbon it is! I like it” approved Sergio “But it’s getting late and I would like to show you somethingmore before dinner” he concluded as they turned and started to walk home.

* * *

They got home just before the sky was getting darker.

As they entered inside they saw Marivì focused on cooking with her nurse and with her granddaughter. They seemed to do great so Sergio decided to pull Raquel to an other room to show her what she neededto see.

Since the first day in the island he was decided to have a big library in a room, with a desk where he could read or study or work whenever he wanted. That was the room in which he was bringing Raquel. It had been hard to find all the books he wanted to have on that library, but he had to admit he did pretty much a good job. The result was so good that that place looked like a cozy study room.

Sergio left Raquel’s hand and walked inside, towards the library, before kneeling in front of it. He pulled out a big, flat and heavy black box from under the library.

Raquel opened her mouth, shocked, and her first instinct was to punch him in the face when he opened the box.

It contained guns and rifles, weapons of any kind. He was so reckless to keep such thing at home with an eight years old child! Showing that to her was his death sentence. He just still didn’t know that.

“I knew you would have gotten angry about this” he finally said.

 _“Well, probably he already knew about his death sentence too”_ Raquel thought.

“Let me explain” he tried.

She was simply too shocked to yell at him so he took advantage of that time.

“It’s necessary. These weapons are necessary. I’ve hidden them here because it’s the safest place. I don’t think Paula or your mum or anyone else in this home is really interested in scientific books so no-one should come in. It’s also hidden, so you have to know about this box’s existence and look for it before finding it”

“They could simply slip into it!” Raquel finally found her voice.

“No, they can’t. Ana knows this door is locked because I have stored work files in it and I already talked with Paula too. If she wants to know about my researches she has to ask and she is not allowed inside without me. We have a deal”

Raquel thought that anything could go worse. Now the whole Palawan practically knew they were hiding something in a mysterious room. She seated at the desk chair because she didn’t know if she could have handled well Sergio’s answer to her next question.

“Your researches? What does she think you are? Does she know you are a robber? What did you tell her?” she finally asked worried.

“She just know that I’m a Professor, obviously” he answered.

“Obviously?!?”

“At the university, Raquel!” he explained, defending himself.

Raquel sighed. That man was crazy, he definitely pulled himself far beyond the line.

“Put everything away, Sergio, before someone comes in”

“No one can come in. I locked the door” he said guiltless.

“And _I_ thought the reason you did that was in order to have _sex_! How stupid!”

Sergio came closer to Raquel.

“Never say never, _Lisbon_ ” he said referring to the weapons “At least I don’t have to teach you how to shoot, probably you’re even better than me. And for the sex thing… We can always make up for it” he proposed, trying to kiss her.

She pulled him away and pushed her face in her hands, desperate. She was already regretting all the nice words she said before about how good they were handling the situation. But he called her Lisbon and she quite liked it, even if she would have never admitted that out loud.

“Of course I’m better than you at shooting” she grinned.

“It’s better if we never have to find out” Sergio replied cleverly.


	9. Maligayang Pasko! (Merry Christmas!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Here I am with a new chapter!  
> It has been strange writing about Christmas in May but I like this that of the year and I wanted to show how Raquel and Sergio were spending it in Palawan.  
> I hope you'll like it too!
> 
> Thanks again for all the kind comments I always receive! :)

_“[…] ¿Cómo_

_iba a aprender el camino_

_si yo no miraba a nada_

_más que a ti,_

_si el camino era tu andar,_

_y el final_

_fue cuando tú te paraste?_

_¿Qué más podía haber ya_

_que tú ofrecida, mirándome? […]”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), LIX

* * *

Christmas in the Philippines was a very important festivity. The people there were sincerely catholics and for them the Christmas function, together with the _Misa de Gallo_ at 4 am on December the 16th, were fundamental.

Sergio and his whole family decided to participate that year, to connect better with their new community. Neither Sergio nor Raquel were really interested in religion, but Sergio had to admit that the functions and the parties after them had been really interesting and funny. He also enjoyed the food they ate in the churchyard. In fact, local people used to cook desserts made of rice, called _bi bibingka_ and _puto bumbong,_ and shared them with the community.

The couple also decided to invite Ana and her family to dinner during Christmas evening. That dinner was a tradition too and was called _Noche Buena_ in the Philippines.

Sergio and Raquel discussed that invitation a lot because they didn’t want to make Ana feel forced to spend that time of the year with them, but she had a son and a daughter that were almost Paula’s age and that would be a good occasion to let the kids know each other better. They finally decided to follow the motto ‘ _the more, the merrier!’_ and to extend the invitation.

Ana seemed really pleased about that and immediately accepted the day later, after having talked to her family.

“ _Mga bata_ are playing outside” Ana said, coming back to the kitchen. Sergio knew she was referring to the kids that disappeared after dinner to go and play together.

Philippines had been a Spanish colony for centuries so Ana’s husband knew the language really well, but the children still didn’t had the chance to study it in depth at school. On the other hand, Sergio was also studying the local language and, with Ana's help, was trying to teach it to Raquel and Paula, so they all communicated pretty well.

“Maybe it’s time to call them so we can exchange the Christmas presents, shall we?” Sergio proposed and all the adults seemed to agree. He went outside and came back a little later with the tree kids that were trotting behind him, now really excited. They moved to the living room all together to sit on the couch and the floor for the occasion.

“Can I start with my presents for you?” Marivíasked first, indicating a pile of colorful packages on the floor. Paula ran to them and read the name on them, then distributed the gifts to everyone.

Mariví had always been really good at knitting so she made cotton sweaters for everyone. They all had different colors and shapes and they enjoyed that present. Raquel felt really moved by the fact that her mum thought about them and cold prepare some gifts for everyone.

It was soo Ana and Raquel’s turn.

The first one had made straw hats for everyone. The funniest was the one for Mariví, that was wide-brimmed and with the addition of a colored bow.

Raquel collected some shells indeed. She assigned a tag with a characteristic to every shell and explained they were supposed to reflect the personal soul of each one. Surprisingly Ana’s husband noticed that his shell was really reflecting him, even if Raquel met him that night for the first time. The two women exchanged knowing glances and Sergio understood they already talked about that in secret.

_“Intelligence, sweetness and determination”_ was written on Sergio’s shell tag. He looked ad it with confusion and Raquel noticed that.

“I couldn’t choose just one adjective for you. I already forced myself to choose just three of them, to be honest, otherwise I could have written a poem in your tag” she explained whispering in his head.

Sergio smiled proudly. Now it was his turn to show his gift for everyone. He spent so much time for these gifts that he couldn’t even remember when he started making them.He opened a bigger package containing a wooden chess board, then he distributed smaller packages to everyone.

The others opened them and they all seemed shocked, from the kids to the adults.Sergio sculpted and decorated a different set of chess pieces for each one. The more colorful and elaborated were the ones for Paula and Raquel but the others were also magnificent. Ana’s husband was so happy about that present that thanked him a million times.

“Now that everyone has his own set, you just have to defeat me!” Sergio announced laughing “So, who wants to start?” he asked then and Paula started positioning her pieces on the chess board.

“Well, well little monster… show them what the Professor taught you” Sergio said, taking the challenge.

Paula was defeated twice after a few minutes, but she seemed pretty good at chess. Sergio should have taught her some tactics already. The third time the little girl finally won the match, but Raquel was sure that Sergio made her win on purpose.

* * *

“What a night! I’m happy we had guests!” exclaimed Raquel jumping on the bed, satisfied.

Sergio smiled over a book that seemed very old.

“I have an other gift for you, Raquel” he announced closing the book and giving it to Raquel “There’s everything you need to know about Philippine culture inside it. There’s also some basis of their language. I know it seems a little bit vintage, but this book has been my best companion during my first year here. Be careful, I’m attached to books, this one in particular”

“It’s amazing. I will read it off, I’m sure!” said Raquel with her eyes wide open “But you shouldn’t have! I just got you a stupid shell!”

“With a list of wonderful adjectives to define me. You really should have written that poem for me” he added, sweetly mocking and kissing her “It’s fine, Raquel, really. I don’t really like material objects, you know that. And I have you here, that's the best gift you could give me” he concluded to reassure her.

“I wanted to give you my dad’s watch as a Christmas gift, but fortunately I talked to Paula about it the other day and she instantly stopped me. She said you’re attached to your watch because it was your father’s…”

“She is right” nodded Sergio.

“You will never change it, right?” Raquel asked and Sergio scrolled his head. He wore that watch every day since he was a child and he wasn’t panning to change it with an other one.

“But maybe one day I will need to change it, who knows? It’s good to change sometimes, isn’t it?” he finally said, and Raquel seemed satisfied.

“Says the man who escaped to an almost desert island after living in the chaos of Madrid for years. You know better than anyone that is good to change” she joked “So… I suppose I’m not giving you my dad’s old watch until you really deserve it” she continued, slowly caressing his chest and trying to tease him.

“That’s not fair!” exclaimed Sergio who was starting to loose control.

“I know, _Profesor_ , but your Lisbon would like a good lesson tonight. Can you do that for her?” she whispered in his ear, moving her hand from the chest to more sensitive areas.

Sergio submitted and rolled his eyes the moment he understood she won. _Again_.


	10. Hello Professor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> Sorry if it took a little bit longer for this chapter but maybe I can upload an other one in the afternoon.  
> Anyway, I hope you'll like it! 
> 
> Thanks again for the sweet comments you left! :)

_“Yo no puedo darte más._

_No soy más que lo que soy._

_¡Ay, cómo quisiera ser_

_arena, sol, en estío!_

_Que te tendieses_

_descansada a descansar._

_Que me dejaras_

_tu cuerpo al marcharte, huella_

_tierna, tibia, inolvidable._

_Y que contigo se fuese_

_sobre ti, mi beso lento:_

_color,_

_desde la nuca al talón,_

_moreno. […]”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), XXIII

* * *

It was spring and more than a year had passed since Raquel came back to Palawan with her family. Everybody was doing more than well in their new reality in the island.

Marivì had settled well in the new home after a while and nurse Ana was helping her a lot. Even if her illness was rapidly progressing, the nurse was trying to teach her how to make wicker baskets and hats and how to model the clay. The old woman was good at it and she never showed episodes of her disease while doing manual works. Back in Madrid her doctor said it was better to keep her mind trained so Raquel was very happy her mum could concentrate on something during the day.

Paula started going to the new international school about one year back and she was really enjoying it. At the beginning it was hard for her to learn how to study in English because she didn’t know that language very well but Sergio helped her with her homework and she was now learning quite fast. She also had a good friendship with Ana’s children, that were attending the same institute. During the first days Sergio accompanied Paula to school with the boat in the morning and brought her back home in the afternoon. He promised Raquel he would have taken care of that and he was keeping his word. He really liked waking up early and having a boat trip with the little monster in the morning, and sometimes, in the beginning, he offered Ana to accompany her children too. Now it had become a habit. The kids used to come back after school and play together in the sand for a couple of hours before starting to do their homework.

Sergio usually helped them with math, English, history and science, while Raquel was better in art and also proposed to take care of Spanish. In addition, two afternoons per week Ana organized some lessons about Philippine language and culture for everybody, Marivì and the other adults included. So all of them were always busy and were learning a lot. 

Raquel for some aspects really enjoyed that kind of family life there. She could spend some time with her mum and daughter and she liked that, because she never had the chance to do it due to her old work. Now she usually had the opportunity to wake up late, have a bath in the crystal clear sea and join her mother during her activities. Sometimes Raquel went to the village to do the shopping and she cooked. Anyway, there were also bad aspects in that way of living. She'd always been so busy in her life that she'd never had the chance to get bored in Spain, but now, in the last months, she was starting to feel a little boredom and that was why she started interrogating Sergio about his work.

The man in fact used to spend all his mornings in his office, reading and studying. No one really cared about what he was doing and that was fine for him. Sergio never liked to be interrupted while working.

“What are you doing, cariño?”

A feminine voice came from the door of Sergio’s office, unexpected. He turned without closing his book. It was some days he was reading something entitled _‘Gold melting’_ but Raquel never asked what that was about, maybe because she really wasn’t interest or maybe because she thought it was better not to know what he was contriving.

Sergio fixed his glasses on his nose before answering.

“Mh… I’m studying?” he suggested and stood up to reach is girlfriend and kisse her “Why are you so interested in my business lately?”

“Why do you ask? Do you hide something?” asked Raquel raising her eyebrows and looking at him directly in his dark eyes.

“Oh no, _Inspectora_ … No need to worry about my studies” he said, kissing her again and maybe touching her a little too much.

“Do you need something?” he finally asked

Raquel shock her head slowly.

“Nothing, I’m just bored” she admitted.

“Bored… Let’s see… Tomorrow is Saturday, we can have a family boat trip if you want” Sergio proposed.

“It sounds good. But I was thinking of something more immediate…” she teased happily.

“I have to go to Paula’s school in one hour”

“Come on. I know you won’t last an entire hour…” Raquel joked. She knew well he could lasteven more but she just wanted to mock him.

“Are you challenging me, _Inspectora_?”

“I just ask for an hour lesson by my favorite _Profesor_ , nothing more” said Raquel, innocently.

That conversation didn’t last much longer and Sergio, an hour after, arrived obviously late to school. Paula was surprised by his behavior and reproached him as soon as she saw him.

“Not your business, little monster. But I can tell you tomorrow we’ll have a boat trip with your mum. Just the tree of us” Sergio defensed himself when she asked why he was late and the girl seemed satisfied. This way he could distract Paula a bit and he was safe _for now_.

* * *

Sergio’s boat was a filthy sail boat with a big cabin. He bought that boat thinking about the amazing places around the island he could have explored with Raquel. That was exactly what he was doing this weekend. He, with Raquel and Paula, sailed on Saturday morning and then decided to spend the night on the boat, to have some days together in a different way.

So now Sergio was leaving the mainsail, preparing to enter a quiet inlet in which they decided to spend the night lulled by the waves. Paula was watching him, curious.

“Sergio I don’t know how to use this kitchen!” Raquel screamed from below the deck.

“I’m coming! Just a minute!” screamed the man from outside before focusing again on Paula.

The kid was really interested in how a sailboat worked and Sergio was trying to teach her the basis of sailing, like sailor knots and other things.

“See? You have to loose the knot here to leave the sail and to pull very hard when you want to haul it” he explained to Paula “Now we’re done. Your mum's calling. Let’s go inside and eat something”

They went downstairs and helped Raquel cooking. She was a little bit of a mess in that moment, trying to cook some pasta in a really small kitchen. Sergio couldn’t blame her since she’d never had a cruise on a sailboat before. He smiled to Paula with a _‘your mum is a mess’_ expression, and just laughed at Raquel before helping to cook one of her best pasta with shrimps ever.

“Did you have fun little monster?” Sergio asked Paula after dinner while he was washing the dishes. The girl seemed happy but tired. During the day they dived a million times into the water during their improvised diving competition and swam a lot so they were all really tired.

“Yes! Can you read me the story tonight, please?” Paula begged him.

That was strange because usually the story before bed was Raquel’s moment with her little girl. That was their intimate moment and Paula never asked to Sergio something like that. He panicked a bit then he turned to his girlfriend to ask for help. He knew he was doing well with Paula but wasn’t that… too much?

“I guess Sergio will be happy to read the Peter Pan story for you tonight” Raquel said with a big and apprehensive smile on her face.

He looked at her, scared. Now he was trapped.

“It’s fine, Sergio. You can do it” she whispered “I’ll wait for you outside, the sky is really starry tonight”

Raquel went outside after wishing good night to her daughter with a big kiss on her head.

She could hear Sergio’s low and calm voice narrating the story and in that moment she realized he was really a good dad to Paula. He had been able numerous times to step out of his comfort zone for the girl and he was caring and also spoiled her sometimes. She didn't really like the spoiling thing but she never said a word because she understood it was quite normal for him, especially in the beginning.

Raquel was so tired and felt so relaxed hearing Sergio’s voice and perceiving the calm wave motion that suddenly fell asleep.

When Paula fell asleep, Sergio left the book on the bed and went outside to join Raquel. When he saw her asleep, he tried to lay next to Raquel without waking her up but he decided to embrace her anyway and she woke up feeling his body warmth on her skin. It felt great because she was starting to feel a bit cold outside. Raquel nested inside his embrace, his belly gently touching her back.

They were almost falling asleep together when Sergio’s phone rang in his short’s pocket.

He immediately frowned but he took it out and read the number and the name on the screen.

_‘Transporter T. R.’_

Raquel couldn’t see his face but she could hear his heartbeat becoming faster before picking up the call.

_“Hello Professor, Tokyo is here…”_ was the only thing Raquel could hear through the phone. Then Sergio suddenly jumped on his feet and waved her away, walking on the other side of the boat.

She went downstairs because she didn’t want to eavesdrop his conversation, but she promised herself to ask him everything later. If something was wrong, he needed to talk with her and resolve it together.


	11. Tokyo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning everyone!  
> Here I am with a new chapter! Things are getting a little more complicated with our characters... but I hope you'll appreciate this new chapter!
> 
> Thank you everyone who left kind comments and kudos! :)

_“[…] Y que a mi amor entonces, le conteste_

_la nueva criatura que tú eras.”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), XLI

* * *

Sergio appeared downstairs a few minutes later. Raquel, who was caressing her daughter’s head while she was asleep, immediately turned and looked at him him. He was showing an unintelligible gaze. Raquel’s heart lost a beat when she realized that Sergio was really frustrated about the call he had just received.

“What happened?” she asked, worried.

Sergio shook his head. He really didn’t want to tell anything to Raquel but at the same time he knew she had the right to know and she would have never stopped interrogating him until he said something. He moved his arms to show her the way outside.

“Paula is sleeping, let’s go outside” he suddenly proposed and she followed him.

Once they were out, Raquel sat quietly behind the helm. She tapped next to her with her hand but Sergio seemed too worried to notice and stayed up, striding back and forward on the boat. He had to build up a good lie to make her believe him and keep her quiet for the following days. Something twisted in his stomach: he was sure it was the guilt he was feeling but, after all, he was just protecting her.

“We have a problem" Sergio finally announced "One of the transporters called me” he revealed a bit later.

“Why would he do it?” asked Raquel, visibly upset.

“I still don’t know very well. He wasn’t supposed to call me as long as everything was going as planned and someone of the gang didn’t have the need to contact me. Whoever contacted him today said something had happened to someone but I still don’t know what precisely happened. I have to go to Thailand in about ten days to fix everything” Sergio explained, calming down a bit.

“This transporter… he could have told you everything on the phone, couldn’t he? You don’t necessarily need to go to Thailand!”

“Don’t be stupid, Raquel. The transporters’ phones are not supposed to be tracked but never say never” the man reprehended her. He never imagined she could be so naive.

“And what now?” Raquel asked frustrated. She was also starting to get angry because she was pretty sure she heard someone naming Tokyo on the phone. She couldn’t see why Sergio wasn’t talking to her clearly and was trying to hide her something.

“We will figure out what happened and think about how to move. Until then… I will think about something but there’s no need to worry yet” Sergio reassured Raquel, pulling his glasses up on his nose. He always did that when he was nervous and the woman noticed it.

“We have to go home, now!” exclaimed Raquel who still couldn’t fully understand the situation.

“Calm down now… I’m sorry if I looked preoccupied earlier. It’s just… I’ve always wished the gang would never have felt they needed me anymore. But it happened and I have to help anyone who contacts me. I owe them” said Sergio, trying to reassure Raquel with his words. At the same time he was feeling guilty to not being completely honest with his girlfriend. He repeated to himself he was just trying to protect her… and maybe he was also avoiding a Raquel in full _‘attack mode’_. He knew better than anyone how stubborn and scary she could be when she had something in her mind.

“I just said we don’t have to worry yet. It’s a dark night, there’s no moon. We can’t navigate home now. Plus, I promised Paula a wonderful weekend and you know I am a man of my word” he laughed, hugging her. Her body next to him was really reassuring, even if he would have never admitted it.

Raquel already knew Sergio was hiding something and she promised herself to dig better into that situation and to find out what he was up to. However, that wasn’t the ideal situation to interrogate him since she was really tired because of the boat trip and she rapidly relaxed in his arms and soon fell asleep.

Sergio felt her breath becoming slower and calmed down. She believed his story, _for now_. He suddenly started to think about the moment on the ship, after the heist, when he divided the gang in couples and gave them their destinations. In the end Tokyo asked him where he was going. He was the only one who didn’t have a partner in that situation and that probably seemed strange to the girl. _“I hope you won’t never need to find out”_ he answered to her question in that moment. And that was true. They had all been assigned to a place and no one knew about the other’s location. That was the magic of the escape plan, that was why the plan was perfect. Because any couple of the gang couldn't reach the other members in any case, no one could betray the others if threatened, and Sergio was the only person who knew where they all were located. The members of the gang could have called a number if they were in trouble, and that number was the one of each couple’s transporter, who would have safely brought them to Sergio in case of emergency.

He always hoped that they never felt the need to do it, but it was happening and he needed to act now.

* * *

Raquel was having the worst day of her life or at lest the worst in one year and a half. Everything was going the opposite way she wanted. Sergio had left two days before to go to Thailand and resolve what they were calling _‘the transporter situation’_ and Paula wasn’t feeling very well that morning so Raquel decided not to bring her to school.

In this precise moment Raquel had left her daughter at home alone and was running around the island as fast as she could. The nurse Ana was cooking when she lost Marivì and the old woman was definitely having a bad day because of the Alzheimer. She could have endangered herself. Raquel was really going crazy because she couldn’t find her mother anywhere when she sighted her, immersed in the water to the waist. She was still wearing her clothes.

“ _Mamà!_ ” she suddenly screamed and she started running faster in the woods to reach the beach. At the same time she saw Ana running towards Marivì too and they both dived in the water and helped her get out.

Raquel sighted with relief when she realized her mum was ok.

After a little walk and a few minutes the three women were safely back home and the hot wind at the beach had already dried their clothes.

“What happened, _mamà_?” Paula asked and Raquel reassured her.

That was when she saw Sergio’s perplexed face staring from the porch and she raised an eyebrow.

“My mum was fully dressed in the water again” she explained. He genuinely smiled at her. Raquel’s day had taken a better turn now that she found her mum and that Sergio was back from his trip, that was sure. She immediately turned when Sergio took her wrist and whispered a low “Raquel”.

“How did your trip go, _cariño_?” she asked, taking his face between her hands. But his glance announced nothing good.

“What’s going on?” Raquel asked when Sergio seriously told her she needed to pack up. 

Sergio took a deep breath because he knew that what he was going to say was going to be a real bomb for Raquel. She would have never accepted it. 

“Tokyo is here” he finally spilled out.

A wave of aggressiveness abruptly grew in Raquel’s body and she felt the need to punch that girl. She’d always known Tokyo was behind all of this, even if Sergio never told her directly, but what the fuck was she doing there? Why on earth was she showing at her home? Maybe that was _really_ the worst day of her life. She needed to find her and give her a lesson.

“Raquel, Raquel…” Sergio continued while he was holding her back “Until we know for sure what happened, you must take your mother and daughter to Mindanao”

 _“What the hell is he saying!?!”_ she thought and she scrolled her arm to free herself from his hand.

“And even though this place isn’t safe, you’re going to stay” Raquel said, trying to stay as calm as possible but clearly showing aggressiveness “Because you have a problem to sort out for Tokyo. On your own” she concluded.

Sergio sadly nodded and Raquel strangely felt a wave of love inside her. She smiled because she knew he was trying to be a good boyfriend but also the _Profesor_ at the same time. She understood how difficult that should be. She had to postpone the moment when she could yell at him for keeping all these secrets from her and for trying to protect her.

But Raquel wasn’t clearly a calm puppy and she'd already demonstrated it in the past. She passionately kissed him before doing what she needed to do.

“If you are thinking of hiding me so she won’t see me, you’d better think about it twice” she threatened him with a smile before walking through the beach, aggressively.


	12. I am with you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!  
> In this new chapter I tried to show some emotions that we don't have the chance to see in the series. Just let me know in the comments if you liked it! :D

_“[…] Te conocí en la tormenta._

_Te conocí, repentina,_

_en ese desgarramiento_

_brutal de tiniebla y luz,_

_donde se revela el fondo_

_que escapa al día y la noche. […]”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), XII

* * *

_Raquel was marching towards the beach with firm steps. She was really angry with Tokyo for showing to her dreamy island from nothing. Raquel would have never let her disturb the quiet of their place and their family. She just wanted to send her back but she also knew Sergio would have never let her do such a thing. Anyway she, Lisbon, was the woman the Professor chose to be at his side, not that trouble-maker Tokyo and she had to know that immediately._

_Sergio immediately followed Raquel, running. He absolutely had to stop her from doing something very stupid. He had seen the angry Raquel before and he knew he didn’t want blood around his peaceful island. Sergio knew what both the women were capable of, indeed._

_Sergio reached the girls just in time to put his muscular body between them. Tokyo was already raising her hands up to Raquel so he pushed her away. She had had enough of beating during her life, Tokyo couldn't raise her hands on his girl even if she was surely capable of defending_ _herself._

_Raquel felt a mixture of pride and anger inside her. She was happy Sergio chose to protect her but she also knew she didn’t need or want his protection. That was a problem between women and they had to resolve it._

_“What’s this bitch doing here?” Tokyo talked first, asking the Professor aggressively._

_“Calm down. She’s one of us now” Sergio replied, realizing the two women were even more dangerous than he had initially thought._

_“Let’s put it this way. I changed sides” announced Raquel that clearly didn’t seem to be willing to avoid a conflict._

_“Do you know who changes sides during wars?” Tokyo asked directly to Raquel “The traitors”._

_Sergio tried to call Tokyo's name numerous times but she didn’t seem to care and she continued attacking Raquel._

_“The lowest of the low…” she kept talking._

_“Tokyo!” Sergio called her again, trying to keep the calm tone in his voice. It was almost impossible. Damn, he was the Professor and she had to listen to him!_

_“And do you know what happens with those rats? They can change sides once, twice…” Tokyo continued saying and she seemed really unstoppable. Then she turned to Sergio “…a hundred times. She will betray you” she concluded._

_“_ Por favor! _” suddenly exclaimed Sergio, with a mixture of authority and boredom in his voice._

_“She will betray you as she betrayed them!”_

_Now Sergio was really losing it. He couldn’t tolerate this behavior towards Raquel, especially he couldn’t tolerate it from Tokyo._

_“That won’t happen” he replied, confident._

_“Why not? How can you know? Tell me!”_

_Now Raquel was just watching the scene with her eyes wide open. She could expect that Tokyo would have reacted badly to her presence but she never imagined such an extreme reaction. She never thought a lack of faith so deep. _

_“I know!” Sergio yelled at the end “And I am totally certain”._

_“Certain? You think with your dick now?” asked Tokyo._

This _was definitely enough. Raquel had totally lost her temper now. She couldn’t let her talk this way to her Sergio. She slapped Tokyo in the face, and she slapped her hard._

_Tokyo finally stayed silent._

_“If_ el Profesor _says I’m one of you, then I am. Is that clear?” Raquel announced with authority._

_“Nice smack you delivered” Tokyo challenged her._

_Sergio didn’t really know what to do anymore. He liked the fact that Raquel managed to silence Tokyo but he clearly didn’t like their childish behavior._

_“We are not going to get along like that,_ Inspectora _” declared Tokyo, breathing hard._

_The two women were getting closer again and Sergio tried to step between them once again, this time without success. It was definitely time to stop that outburst._

_“_ Lisbon _. My name is Lisbon” Raquel communicated._

_Tokyo showed a big smile to her and then turned to Sergio._

_“Well, now… after that very…_ endearing _reunion let’s go have some tea” the man said. That was an order more than a proposal, they all knew that._

 _“_ Por favor _” he added, seeing the two women’s glances and he showed the way inside with his hand._

_Raquel sighted and smiled satisfied before following him inside._

Raquel was thinking about everything that happened earlier with Tokyo and at the same time she was waiting the water for the tea to boil. Sergio was at her side while Tokyo was having a quick shower. Raquel decided not to think about that girl using their shower in order not to go inside the bathroom slap her again. She decided to focus on Sergio.

He seemed disturbed in some way.

“A cent for each one of your thoughts” said Raquel.

“What you said earlier… that was really brave” Sergio told her.

Even if the situation wasn’t still completely clear to him, he had already prepared some plans if something happened to a member of the gang. He spent the days after the call to study and perfecting them. Raquel tried to secretly browse into his business more than once while Sergio was bringing Paula to school, but always found nothing. She knew he was up to something but he hid everything because he simply didn’t want her to worry. But Raquel soon realized she wanted to help him. And she realized it even more after the fight with Tokyo. She was Lisbon now and she would have done anything for Sergio or for the gang. She simply tried to make it clear during the earlier discussion.

“Sergio, what are you plotting now? What happens next?” she finally asked him.

“Nothing, I told you I’ll think of something once Tokyo tells us what happened” he repeated what he had already said a million times during the last few days.

“Don’t lie to me. I know you have something in that brilliant mind of yours. You spent much more time in your room lately. I know you are planning something and I just want to help you”

“You can’t, Raquel!” he exploded. Sergio hated to keep secrets from her but it was necessary to protect her.

“So you just admitted you are planning something... and keeping it from me? Where are you hiding the papers?” Raquel asked. She didn’t have any intention to give up.

“In my head?" he suggested "There’s no papers yet. Did you look for them in my stuff?” asked a very surprised Sergio.

“Well…" she started, embarrassed "Now you sit down and you explain everything, every single detail to me” ordered and indicated a chair in the kitchen. Raquel took a pencil from the table in the living room and she sorted her hair with it. Sergio had seen her doing that characteristic gesture at least a million times now, but for some strange reasons he thought about the day she interrogated him in Toledo. How stubborn she was in knowing the truth. He feared she could find a polygraph now and could interrogate him again.

“But I don’t want to!” he finally muttered disappointed.

“And _I_ don’t care!” the woman screamed. She was ready to fight for it and to yell at him if necessary “You sound like a child! _I am with you!_ I’ve already said that more than once and I don’t know how many times I’ll have to say that again to make you believe me, Sergio! I’ve just said it to Tokyo! I’m tired. I’m already in the middle of all of this, _you don’t have to protect me!_ ”

“I know but…” he tried to defend himself.

“There’s no but in this" she interrupted him "You tell me everything now. I’m Lisbon at the moment, Raquel isn’t here anymore. Lisbon has the right to know and to help!”

 _“I knew I shouldn’t have to let her pick a city name. How stupid was I not to think she would have used it against me?”_ he thought before reluctantly starting telling her his crazy ideas. They appeared even more crazy now that he was explaining them out loud.

“All of this will be really dangerous. I understand if you want to join Paula and Marivì in Mindanao and stay with them… Tomorrow they will leave and you can go with them… I don’t want you to follow me, to be honest. I’d prefer if you choose to stay safe with your family” he concluded.

“Thank you, how caring” Raquel answered sarcastic “But I’m in this with you. I will not stay quiet in Mindanao or anywere, hoping that you come back safe! Clearly you don’t know me if you thought this could be a possibility”

“Oh, I know you, Raquel. That was why I didn’t want to tell you any of this”

“Lisbon” she corrected him.

“ _Joder!_ ” Sergio exclaimed, rolling his eyes “Fine, Lisbon. The tea is ready, let’s go and listen what Tokyo has to say”

Raquel knew she had convinced him for now but also knew he would have tried to overstep her again in future. She soon realized that one had been the first of a long series of discussions about that topic and she was ready to support her decision again.


	13. The Professor again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> Here's a new chapter! Let me know what you think! 
> 
> And, again, a warm thank you to everyone who left kudos or comments!

_“[…] Y por eso no lo quiero,_

_ni se lo quiero deber_

_no sé a quién._

_A ti debértelo todo_

_querría yo._

_¡Qué hermoso el mundo, qué entero_

_si todo, besos y luces,_

_y gozo,_

_viniese sólo de ti!”_ ****

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), XXV

* * *

Tokyo had just told Raquel and Sergio how some members of the gang bought some satellite phones from a Libyan, in Casablanca. They weren’t supposed to be registered but, how Sergio correctly pointed out, apparently they were and the person who sold them also reported the gang to the Police, who tracked them at the moment of the first call.

Raquel could have sworn that Sergio, or better the Professor in that moment, was really furious because of this reckless move from his gang. In fact, he showed his anger a little later, when they realized Rio had been caught and kept for eleven days only God knows where. His eyes met Raquel ones and he immediately understood how bad the situation was. Raquel was thinking the same thing he was, and she knew well what the Police was capable of. Tokyo reflected for a minute before realizing and then reluctantly asking the Professor if he thought Rio was being tortured.

“Of course he’s being tortured” answered Raquel, stepping into the conversation.

“In any democratic Country, there’s a backyard to play dirty in if things turn nasty” she continued explaining “and we’ve turned things very nasty for them. Well… _you_ have” she corrected herself.

“They can’t torture him. It’s the 21st century” protested Tokyo, ignoring the other woman and looking at Sergio instead.

In that precise moment the Professor inside him exploded.

“Sure they can. At a height of 35000 feet, above any jurisdiction, in the CIA flights or in Guantanamo. Even Spain had a terrorist command. _Joder_ , Tokyo! Were you born yesterday?” he exclaimed. He started feeling the weight of the whole situation on his back, like when he was in charge during their last heist. And Tokyo asking him to save Rio, to rescue him, wasn’t helping for sure. He already knew he owned it to him and he owned it to Tokyo too, but he didn’t want to endanger anyone in the process. Especially Raquel and what was tarting to be his family.

“Did you buy any more phones?” the Professor suddenly asked. He needed to know it, to avoid someone else to get caught.

Tokyo's face turned dark and she nodded, suddenly realizing the gravity of the situation.

“We have to gather everyone” said Sergio before exiting the house clearly pissed.

Raquel saw Tokyo rapidly following him outside and then she heard her imploring Sergio to save Rio again. He answered something Raquel couldn’t catch but she hoped he wasn’t promising anything to Tokyo. Fortunately, Sergio’s expression seemed to be just annoyed and angry to the request and he immediately turned around and walked away, leaving a shocked Tokyo behind.

Looking Sergio walking away in that way made Raquel understand he needed to stay alone thinking for a while. She decided to tidy the kitchen and wash the tea cups before going to look for him.

She found him a few minutes later sitting on the bench in the front porch, completely immersed in his thoughts. Raquel sat next to him quietly and slowly caressed his leg. Sergio let all his anger go away and put his head in Raquel’s lap. She started playing with his dark curls in the most natural way possible and he calmed down a little.

“Where is Tokyo?” finally asked Raquel.

He shook his head without changing his position. He didn’t know and he clearly didn’t care right now.

“So… where are the others located?” she tried with an other question. As much as she could like a Sergio who just needed to be cuddled, now she knew he had to react and plan something. What she didn’t know was that he already made a couple of calls to arrange the transfer of the rest of the gang.

Sergio returned to a straight position before looking at Raquel in her eyes and starting talking.

“Well, Tokyo and Rio were in Panama. Nairobi and Helsinki are in La Pampa, in Argentina, while Denver and Stockholm are in Indonesia, in Java. I already arranged everything. They are coming here in a few days” he explained.

“Why here? Paula and my mother are still here, we can’t let them discover everything!”

“As I told you earlier, they’ll leave tomorrow. At dawn, so they cannot meet the gang in any case. They will be transferred to Mindanao, they are going to be safer there”

Raquel nodded. She trusted him and she knew Sergio would never have endangered their family.

“Now, Raquel, are you sure about all of his?” Sergio asked her again.

Raquel glanced at him. She didn’t say anything but Sergio could notice courage and decision in her hazel eyes. He looked at her and sighted. After their first discussion in the kitchen earlier, he hoped she could change her mind after hearing the whole situation from Tokyo but she didn’t, and now he just had to support and respect her decision.

He turned to kiss her, slowly.

“Thank you, Lisbon” he whispered “It’s gonna be hard”

“I know, Sergio. But I’m here. I will follow your orders as the other members, _Profesor_ ”

“Even if you don’t agree with my decisions?” he asked perplexed.

“Well, I cannot promise that, but I hope you will consult me before making any drastic decision. I can help you, especially with the Police”

Sergio knew that. He’d always known and he had all the intentions to consult her, to be honest. Her help with the Police could be fundamental for the plan.

Raquel was looking at him with an interrogative glance. She clearly wanted to know more but he still wasn’t sure abut how to act. He needed to talk to the gang before. Convince them to go and save Rio. And he knew it wouldn’t be a simple task, especially if he also had to introduce Raquel as a new member of the gang. He just saw how Tokyo reacted to that and knew the others could have reacted even worse. Sergio thought about Denver who now had a child. He had always been impulsive and he could easily strangle him or someone else as soon as he knew what they were about to do.

“The others are coming tomorrow in the evening” Sergio finally explained to Raquel “I will have dinner with them and try to convince everyone to save Rio. I’m pretty sure they will accept the job in the end but I’ll need some time with them”

“So you’ll do it alone, _again_ ” Raquel said, disappointed. She was sure she had been pretty much clear about what she wanted.

“I won’t. If you want to join us I can’t hold you back, even if I’m not enthusiastic about your decision”

Raquel smiled, finally satisfied.

“But I have to talk with them alone, before introducing you” Sergio, in full _Professor mode_ , continued explaining “You have to know that they won’t trust you immediately. They will be skeptical about my decision too in the beginning. I have to gain their trust again before bombing them with such an amazing but at the same time shocking news”

Raquel squeezed his hand when she heard she was an _‘amazing news’_ according to him. She realized she really liked him when he was being the Professor, when he was containing his emotions and showing all his authority. She'd always admired his capability of splitting himself in two completely different persons, a skill she wished she could have to deal better both with her family and work during tough days. But at the same time she also liked being the only one who knew the real Sergio, the only one to know how fragile he was, how much he suffered for the colleagues lost during the first robbery. How much he felt bad for these deaths, especially for his brother’s death.

She knew that people were the closest thing to a family he’d had in a really long time, before she showed up in Palawan and brought there her family. Raquel decided to follow and support him in his plans, she also had to respect his decision to reunite with them before introducing her.

“I understand. I’m ready to gain their trust little by little” she slowly said “What should I do?”

“Just wait the night they'll come. We will have a dinner together and I'll talk with them. If you stay in the living room you can hear me talking from the kitchen. Berlin will be the signal and you could show up after I nominate him” Sergio instructed her.

“I know it’s sad but it’s the only way, as I said, to make them accept you and trust you” he added then, seeing Raquel’s sad expression “And some of them will never accept you, they’ll tolerate you just because I’ll ask them to”

“We will trust you eventually, Lisbon” said a voice coming from the beach. It was Tokyo, smiling to the couple.

Raquel was happy about that revelation but at the same time she wished Tokyo didn’t hear their whole conversation. It was quite… private. She knew Sergio was thinking the same because he suddenly froze. He hated to show his fragile side to someone other than Raquel. They were quite similar in that.

“I’ll go find Paula. She has to go to have dinner and go to bed now if we want her to wake up at dawn tomorrow” she announced, sweetly patting Sergio’s leg.

“Raquel, sweetheart, we both know that you’ll be the last to wake up tomorrow morning” he said quite loudly.

Tokyo heard that and looked at them. She couldn’t help but starting to laugh. She had the opportunity to study them during the day and she was starting to notice the chemistry between those two. They seemed they were made for each other. Sergio tried his best to protect Raquel from Tokyo but at the same time he understood her value and heard her when she had to give some advices about the Police and the government. Raquel, on the other hand, had been able to respect his spaces when he needed them but also reached him to comfort him with perfect timing.

Raquel seemed confused about Tokyo’s laugh but also relieved in some way.

“Let’s see if you will be of the same advice in a couple of hours. I’m planning to get you very tired”she tased in Sergio’s ear before starting laughing too and walking inside.


	14. I don't like you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!  
> Sorry if I have not uploaded the chapter yesterday but I'm super busy with my university exams...  
> By the way I post a longer chapter today! I hope you'll like it!  
> Let me know what you think of it :)

_“[…] Yo sí que sé dónde estoy,_

_mi ciudad, la calle, el nombre_

_por el que todos me llaman. […]”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), LIX

* * *

Raquel had been turning in her bed for hours before reaching the conclusion she couldn’t sleep that night. She was too immersed in her thoughts. First of all, Tokyo was sleeping in their house,in the guest room, with her family there. Raquel was happy the woman hadn’t had the chance to meet Paula and Marivì during the day, because she was more than sure she wouldn’t have liked the idea of her daughter chatting and maybe also having fun with Tokyo.

Then there was the whole weight of the situation on her shoulders. She had told Sergio she would have followed and helped him with the plan but now she was just thinking of the dangers it could bring and she couldn’t delete that thoughts from her mind. That night could have been the last she was spending with her family because, even in the execution of the most perfect plan ever, something could have gone wrong and fucked up every slice of happiness. Not that she hadn’t thought about that before, but now it just seemed more real.

Last but not least there was also the new Raquel, Lisbon, thinking. She couldn’t stop imagining the faces of the members of the gang when they would have seen her. She couldn’t stop asking herself how they could react to her presence, and especially to the fact she was going to help them _with_ the plan. But she really could help them, she knew the police better than anyone there.

Raquel turned for the last time in the bed before finally standing up and going outside. She just neededsome fresh air.

She laid on the hammock outside, her mind working without finding peace. She also lit up a cigarette, and that flavor in her mouth brought her back to Madrid. She always used to smoke when she was nervous, but in Palawan she almost stopped doing it. Now she was starting to need nicotine again and that was definitely not a good sign.

“Hey” she heard a voice behind her, but she didn’t turn. That was probably the last person she wanted to have a conversation with in that moment. Raquel immediately threw the cigarette in the sand.

“Can I…?” Tokyo asked, pointing at a free spot on the hammock with her finger.

“You don’t even like me” answered Raquel, a little confused, but she automatically moved to free some space for the other woman. She didn't even realize what she was doing and she regretted it a second later, when Tokyo sat in front of her.

“True. I don’t like you” Tokyo admitted, sitting with her legs crossed and facing Lisbon “But I couldn’t sleep and it seems I wasn’t the only one”

Raquel sighted and nodded slowly.

“Why?” she finally asked.

Tokyo closed her eyes to the question and started playing with what seemed a necklace in her hands for a second, meditating if she could have talked freely to Raquel or not.

“Rio…” she admitted in the end “I should never have left him alone at the island”

“Yeah, you shouldn’t have” confirmed Lisbon.

“Listen, Lisbon…” started to say Tokyo.

Raquel’s eyes opened for the shock. Had Tokyo really just used her city name? Hadn’t she used an appellative like ‘cop’ or ‘traitor’ or something similar to these?

“You can stay with your family here. Nobody is forcing you…” Tokyo continued and Raquel rolled her eyes and snorted before interrupting her.

“No, please! Not you too! Where is he? Did he send you here?”

Tokyo frowned.

“Who should have sent me here? What are you talking about?” she asked.

Raquel, suspicious, raised her eyebrow and looked around. There was no trace of Sergio in the surrounding so she whispered a low “nothing” to Tokyo, who seemed even more perplexed.

“Look, Tokyo, and listen to me carefully” Raquel started talking again, showing nothing but determination in her voice “I will not stay here living the good life while Sergio could be in danger. I would never forgive myself if something happens to him. Because I love him. _I am coming with you_ and this is the last time you ask me such a stupid thing, understood?”

Tokyo nodded to her but she didn’t have the chance to say anything because Lisbon started talking again.

“Good, I’m already having enough of it with the Professor. I don’t know if he sent you here to convince me or if you are just trying to test my loyalty with this”

“I’m not testing anything!” interrupted Tokyo, clearly lying to defend herself “I can go, if you don’t want to talk to me. And apparently you don’t really want” she stated before getting up and walking away.

“Silene” Lisbon called her. And she called her with her real name, that should mean something.

Tokyo stopped and turned back to Raquel with an interrogative expression.

“I don’t care if you don’t like me, really. But it’s important that you trust me because we are all in this together. I can list a million reasons why I would never betray Sergio, but I’m not sure you’ll believe or understand them” started again Lisbon.

“Yes, _Sergio_. Sergio here, Sergio there… What about _us_ , the rest of the gang? Why shouldn’t you betray us?” asked Tokyo aggressively.

“Don’t be stupid! The gang is the closest thing to a family he’d had in a very long time. Betraying you will be disrespectful to Sergio too. Plus, I’m not just joining you for love. I have principles, I believe in something too”

Tokyo seemed more interested in what Lisbon had to say now, after that declaration. She also felt moved by the fact the Professor considered the gang as a family. Even tho she remained skeptical, she decided to come closer to the other woman again and listen to her.

“I met him in a strange situation, I have to admit that, and I was sure of what I wanted" Raquel started explaining "I knew what was right, I knew I was on the part of the good people and of the justice. I knew what was wrong too, and you were the bad guys. I was sure of that” admitted Raquel and continued “That was before discovering that Sergio, who was Salvador for me at the time, was actually the Professor. He was the mind behind the robbery! In that moment I just realized he had played with me, he’d probably never felt what I felt. I cannot say it was love but I felt something good when I was with him. I finally connected the dots: he approached me in that cafe for informations and he used me, he put a mic in my best friend’s glasses and spied us. And I realized I was really attracted to the worst man in Spain. I was furious with him and with myself too, believe me”

Tokyo smirked a bit. She never knew what really happened between those two and was really curious.

“Then what?” she asked.

“Then I made my decision. I decided not to turn him in but to point a gun at his head and to drive the Professor to the house in Toledo, where it all started for you. I was so furious that I chained him to the roof. I asked him to reveal who he really was. I wanted an explanation from him, but he soon started to insinuate in my head. He started saying he fell in love with me over and over. And I slapped him every time he said that but he continued saying it anyway. _Of course_ I didn’t believe him, so I left Sergio there and came back later with a polygraph”

Tokyo grinned when she realized Raquel was more stubborn than she expected. And she also acted behind the back of the whole Police Corps because she just wanted the truth from a man she met just a few days before. She would have never imagined that woman could have been so tough.

Raquel started talking again soon.

“I just wanted the truth because I couldn’t accept having been fooled by a man _again_. But, you know him, he is smart and he knocked me out as soon as he had the chance. Thinking about it, that thing he does clapping the carotid artery to make you faint... it's genial. It leaves you completely unconscious for some time. Anyway, when I woke up he was still there, but he had taken my gun”

“I didn’t know the Professor could ever be so stupid! He didn’t leave!?!” Tokyo exclaimed shocked.

“He didn’t!” Raquel laughed “Well, it wasn’t funny back then when he approached my car to leave with it and with my gun too. But he unexpectedly returned my gun instead”

“ _Joder!_ I can’t believe it!” Tokyo said. She seemed to be really annoyed by the Professor’s behavior. He risked his life more than once for that woman, he could have easily died and let all the gang die inside the State Mint as a consequence. Not bad for a Guardian Angel…

Raquel played with a lock of her hair before continuing the narration “He shocked me too! Believe me, Tokyo, I’ve never regretted not shooting someone so much!”

Lisbon narrated then how she discovered Sergio’s hangar and showed up there. How she had been chained by the Serbians and how she bit and kicked the Professor in the attempt to free herself.

“…and then he said something that moved me. What he said made me realize I didn’t know what was right or wrong anymore. What I believed in was what I had been taught since I was a child but I’d never seen that in the reality. In that moment the blindfold fell from my eyes. I helped him. I helped _you_ escape. I gave you more time. And I endangered my family in the process”

Tokyo was shocked, moved and skeptical at the same time. She was really a storm of emotions she couldn’t control. The part who wanted to hate Lisbon was strong but that story… there was something real in the words she said. 

Raquel, who saw her expression offered her a cigarette which the young woman gladly accepted.

“So, you said you are not joining us just for love… why are you doing it?” Tokyo finally asked after she inhaled some smoke.

“I really don’t know how to define that feeling” Raquel admitted “But I had a restrictive order towards my ex husband at the time of the robbery. He was - well I bet he still is - a violent man and I couldn’t let him hurt me again or worse, hurt Paula. When the Police discovered I knew about the hangar and that I protected Sergio, that I protected you, they threatened me with my family to let me talk. They said I could have lost the custody of my daughter if I didn't collaborate. I indulged some minutes but at the end I talked, so they just fired me. But Alberto, who also works for the Police, a few weeks later tried to win the custody of Paula. I didn’t have a job, I was left alone with noting. He would have won in tribunal if I didn’t find where Sergio was and kidnapped my family” Raquel admitted.

She, of course, didn’t talk about her feelings, her sense of constant failing that has been a red line in her entire life. Raquel didn’t want to show how fragile she was deep down to anyone, especially to Tokyo.

“So it’s a sort of vengeance, the one you are looking for” Tokyo stated as it was practically obvious.

Raquel mumbled “It’s something more complicated… It’s fighting for what is right”

Tokyo seemed pretty satisfied about that conversation they just had.

In the meantime, the sun was starting to rise at the horizon and Raquel knew she had to wake up Paula and Marivì because they had to leave. She was tired but she forced herself to get up from the hammock and go inside.

She was halfway there when Tokyo grabbed her hand and made her turn.

“Lisbon, for what is worth, I think I can try to trust you” she suddenly announced before grinning and adding “But I still don’t like you”.

Raquel nodded to her and turned again. She smiled between herself, satisfied: she knew Tokyo was starting to like her, even if she would have never admitted that loud.


	15. The dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody!  
> Here I am with a new chapter. It will be the first time the gang is almost fully reunited, I just hope you'll like it!
> 
> Let me know in the comments and thanks to everyone who left kudos or kind comments before! :)

_“[…] En esa realidad_

_hundida que se niega_

_a sí misma y se empeña_

_en que nunca ha existido,_

_que sólo fue un pretexto_

_mío para vivir._

_Si tú no me quedaras,_

_dolor, irrefutable,_

_yo me lo creería;_

_pero me quedas tú. […]”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), LXIII

* * *

The air during the dinner was really festive at the beginning. Raquel could feel it from the living room. She could feel the gang’s happiness of being together again, sharing a friendly night at the Professor’s place. None of them, except for Tokyo and Sergio, really knew the real reason why they'd been reunited there. Raquel couldn’t stop herself anymore and lit up a cigarette when, from the other room, Nairobi’s voice came asking curiously where Rio was. Tokyo’s worried reaction came immediately later and the festive mood of a few minutes before suddenly faded. Everybody understood something was clearly wrong probably just seeing Tokyo's expression.

“What the fuck are we doing here!?!” Denver screamed suddenly “Do you believe we’re going to save Rio?”

Sergio kept his breath for some seconds. He foresaw the gang reaction to the news, especially Denver’s one now that he had a family. And he also understood how the young man felt, he had to leave his new family behind too. he was worried just as much as Denver but he couldn't leave Rio alone when he needed them.

“Yes, Denver. I believe so” he finally firmly announced.

Raquel heard the guy hitting the table hard and standing up, groaning and swearing. Then he continued screaming and attacking the Professor. Raquel collected all her willingness not to step into the room before Sergio's sign and make him stop screaming to her boyfriend. All of this wasn’t his fault, after all. She inspired some smoke again indeed. 

Fortunately, Monica interrupted her husband and tried to calm him down a bit, but without succeeding.

Sergio could feel the tears filling his eyes while Denver was screaming to him and blaming him for his father’s death. He knew he needed to control himself, stop Denver and bring the quiet back. But, instead, he just looked away and let him scream and let all his anger go, maybe because he felt like he deserved all of that. He was sure he deserved it. He was the responsible for Moscow and Oslo and also his own brother's deaths. All these young women and men in front of him had joined him just because they had nothing to loose anymore. They trusted him, followed his orders, believed in him. And all he could give them back had been losses and pain and some millions that could never make it right.

He simply couldn’t interrupt Denver, he didn’t feel to have the right to do such a thing.

Raquel heard Tokyo intervening in Denver’s monologue from her position and she could just imagine Sergio’s face in this moment, fighting between being himself - the sweet man so sensitive she learned he was - and being the Professor they all knew from the start. She just wanted to be there for him and hug him and give him some strength, but she also knew he would have never let her do such a thing. Raquel understood his silence and was really grateful to Tokyo who could bring the quiet back in some ways.

“That face you’re looking at now…” Sergio finally started talking when'd Denver turned his attention from him to Tokyo “Is the same face your dad was looking at while you were trying to dig the tunnel open. She didn’t leave his side, not even for a second. _Tokyo was there_ ”

Everybody sighed defenseless. Even if they were angry, they were well aware they should have heard what the Professor had to say.

“Rio made a mistake. But you also made some mistakes” he continued, looking seriously at Denver. The latter couldn’t sustain the Professor’s glance so he looked down, a little resigned.

Sergio noticed it, but knew he had to continue his speech to convince them completely.

“You dragged your dad to the rooftop, you two could have been killed. But _the gang was there_ ” he continued before turning his attention to someone else “Helsinki, you took the car to the scrapyard, but didn’t crush it. We fixed it. _The gang was there_ ”.

Sergio took a deep breath and looked down, as he was now lost in the void. The real Sergio would have never wanted to bring back all the bad memories they had and reproach them to the gang, but the Professor in him knew it had to be done. It was vital. Everybody made mistakes during the first heist and they had to realize it.

“You stopped the machines late, Nairobi. And the police came in. And you escaped through the tunnel because Berlin stayed to hold them back. He gave us the seconds we needed. _The gang was there_ ”

_Berlin._

He’d just said that.

Raquel turned off the cigarette and stood up from the couch, taking a deep breath. It was her moment now.

“The one who’s not here now… is Berlin. Neither is Oslo. Nor Moscow”

Raquel heard the last words of Sergio’s speech and imagined the dark faces on everyone while she slowly walked through the room in which they were staying. She could glance at everyone before seeing their expressions turn from sad to shocked at her sight. They would have definitely attacked Sergio because of this, she was now sure seeing their gazes, but at least she was now there for him.

“ _¿Perdona?_ ” asked Nairobi with nothing but surprise in her voice.

Raquel didn’t change her expression and neither Sergio changed his. She came closer to her boyfriend and gently put her hand on his shoulder as a sign of support. She'd wanted to do that for the whole time they were eating and now she was allowed to, and happy to do it. He seemed to really appreciate as he reached her hand and squeezed it back.

“She’s one of us” finally announced Tokyo and Raquel nodded.

“I made a mistake” Sergio admitted, raising his chin as a sign of pride “I lost control. But _the gang was there_ ”

Raquel squeezed his shoulder and he turned to her, relieved. He knew she was with him, no matter what, and that filled his heart and soul in an indescribable way. Surely in a way he’d never felt before. He, for some still unknown reasons, was glad she close to stay with him and help. Sergio was now also starting to better understand why his brother trusted his last wife so much, why he told her every detail in their plans. That thing made Sergio crazy at the time but he realized now he was doing exactly the same. And he was happy for it. 

“Now Rio had made a mistake, like we all did. I can’t ask you to feel what I feel, but… But I really feel responsible that some _hijo de puta_ is giving him electric shock while he hangs from his ankles” he finally spilled out.

Monica turned to Denver and nodded to him, while Nairobi sighed and looked at Tokyo, who was unexpectedly almost crying. Indeed, Nairobi was the first to agree to go and save Rio, followed by Helsinki immediately later. God only knew how a great friendship had born between those two. In a few seconds everybody else in the room agreed.

Sergio felt suddenly immensely relieved and touched by their courage. That were the people he looked for at the beginning and they were not disappointing him. He smiled at them before turning to Raquel who was now sitting behind him. She chuckled back as an answer and Sergio offered her a glass of red whine, which she gladly accepted.

They toasted to Rio and drank their wine all together, but soon the conversation around the table focused on their new plan. They were really curious about how they could save their friend but the Professor shook his head and didn’t reveal them anything. That was not the right moment neither the place.

“You will know everything soon” he reassured when all the other members protested to his silence “In a few days we’ll be in Italy for some time to study the plan. I have to contact a few friends before but we’ll be soon reunited and ready to move. Now I just want you to enjoy your dinner”

Sergio opened his arms, showing the abundance of food and wine on the table.

Raquel moved and went to seat in Sergio's lap while the others started chatting again.

“I am proud of you” she whispered in his ear.

Sergio turned and placed a quick kiss on her mouth. Not a long, passionate one as he was used to do, but a soft kiss who meant that they were a team.

Raquel chuckled because she knew he didn’t want to mix work with love and that seemed really cute to her. She was his, but nobody could fully know it. Some things were better if kept private.

“So how did you end up here, _Inspectora_?” Denver suddenly asked from nothing.

Of course Raquel expected that question. She was almost surprised it didn’t come earlier in the evening.

"Yeah, tell us _everything Inspectora_ Murillo" insisted Nairobi.

“Lisbon” she pointed out “I’m Lisbon now and, well… that’s quite a story” she laughed looking in Sergio’s eyes, searching for approval.

He patted her leg lovingly and chuckled too.They looked at each other for a second reading their face that were mutually showing a “ _now you explain it_ ” expression, but none of them seemed to want to start narrating.

“Ok guys, you will have time to learn our story too!" he finally intervened "But, right now, don’t force this cruel woman to explain how she chained me to a roof and slapped me because I said I fell in love with her” he laughed “At least not in front of me, It’s quite humiliating!”

"You fooled me! You deserved that!" Lisbon grinned and defensed herself.

Everybody started laughing too, resigned. It seemed they had to wait if they wanted more explanations.


	16. Palermo

_“Qué alegría, vivir_

_sintiendose vivido._

_Rendirse_

_a la gran certidumbre, oscuramente,_

_de que otro ser, fuera de mí, muy lejos,_

_me está viviendo. […]”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), XXI

* * *

A few more days passed and the whole gang traveled to Italy with a private plane. It hasn’t been difficult for the Professor to arrange the transfer without being noticed, considered that he had millions as a budget.

Everybody already knew they were headed to Florence, Italy, to plan their way to save Rio together but that wasn’t their first stop in that beautiful Country. Sergio announced he had something to do in Palermo, in Sicily, before starting the plan so their plane landed there andthey stayed a couple of days before moving to their final destination. He’d proudly announced he had to gather some new members in order to make the plan work and no one discussed it.

The morning they arrived in Italy the Professor, a little skeptical at the beginning, let the other members of the gang sightseeing while he provided for his business. He asked Lisbon to stay with the them to avoid going too noticed during their day as tourists: she was the only one he could really trust to maintain the gang pretty quiet.

Sergio had been standing in front of that door for a good ten minutes before finding the courage to knock. What happened later had been an unexpected storm of emotions.

His friend Martìn, who had always been like a second brother to him, opened the door with a smile and then his face turned darker, when he realized who knocked. It had been a lot of years the two men hadn’t meet. Their friendship had been really strong in the past, even if they also had their fights, but Sergio knew he couldn’t expect to be welcomed well in Martìn’s home now.

He, the coward Sergio who ran after the Royal Mint heist letting his brother die, had been the one who wrote a letter to Martìn to inform him of the end of Berlin’s life. And he knew how much that two had always been linked to each other. They’ve grown up together for years and everybody knew how deep Martìn loved Andrès.

Anyway, Sergio managed to step into Martìn’s home and the latter didn’t protest as he expected. He offered him a drink instead, which he kindly refused.

The apartment was a real mess, with empty bottles everywhere, it smelled like whiskey and an old record player was playing a sad song by Monroy. Martìn didn’t bother to stop it and started talking to Sergio with a mixture of sadness and aggressiveness in his voice.

“I’m not here to argue” immediately pointed out Sergio, before the other could say something more.

“Quite frankly, I couldn’t care less why the fuck you’re here” he answered and he opened his arms as to show that Sergio _indeed_ was there “All I know is, after more than three years, here we are. So I’ll tell you why you didn’t enter the Royal Mint… because you are a coward. And because… you had _him_ to do the dirty work. Your brother”

To be honest, Sergio couldn’t agree more. He always regretted not entering the Royal Mint to save his brother. Since that day, he’d always had nightmares about what could have happened if he’d done it, if he’d saved him. It was true, he had been a coward and if he could turn back time he would have fixed it by now. But he simply couldn’t. Sergio now could only believe in the most stupid idea ever came to his head in order to ease his sense of guilt: what happened was an accident. A contingency.

“Ah a contingency!?!” Martìn immediately yelled, his eyes were now dangerously filling with tears “Let me be clear. You didn’t go in and a third of your crew died, you son of a bitch. A third of your crew died and you did nothing!”

Martìn threw the glass of milk that was in his hands trough the wall and it shattered. He started crying and screaming. He yelled he would have saved Andrès at any cost if he’d been in Sergio’s shoes and, once again, Sergio couldn’t doubt that.

“You let him die!” he continued screaming and then he calmed down a bit and pointed a finger to Sergio “He was my friend. He was everything to me. He was my other half. Look me in the eyes and tell me you never thought of it. That he’d let himself get killed. With all your _calculations_ , you son of a bitch, tell me you didn’t consider your brother’s death”

“I didn’t consider my brother’s death, not even once” Sergio sincerely admitted.

Tears were now falling down his cheeks too. He’d just directly seen how much pain he caused to the ones he loved - and he really cared for a few people - and he couldn’t remain cold and calm anymore. Martìn cried too and suddenly hugged him, a gesture that Sergio interpreted as a truce between them. He hugged his friend back, letting all their tears go.

“It wasn’t your fault” Martìn then admitted looking at him directly in the eyes.

Their fragile sides disappeared as they came and the two men immediately recomposed.

Martìn ran to the record player, realizing the vinile stopped, he turned it on again but this time with a happy song and asked Sergio to dance. The latter really didn’t like to dance, he didn’t have the minimal sense of rhythm, but knew the man in front of him enough not to protest. He’d also missed that exuberant part of him in some ways.

“Why are you here?” Martìn finally asked and Sergio smiled to the question.

“To ask your permission” he answered and grinned hearing his friend’s laugh “I’m going to steal the gold. I’d tell you it’s in my brother’s memory but… the truth is… _I need_ to do it. And I won’t do it without you”

Martìn did not answer back but, judging by the way he continued dancing and laughing, Sergio knew he was in.

* * *

Raquel let herself lay on her back in the bed of their hotel’s room. She was so tired because of the long walks around the city that she didn’t have the energy to take off her clothes.

“Being a tourist is really exhausting!” she admitted to Sergio laughing.

He was seating on the edge of their bed and slowly unbuttoning his shirt. He smiled and turned to his girlfriend.

“Dealing with adoptive brothers too!” he confessed in a laugh and Raquel gripped his shoulder to make him come closer. They kissed passionately for a long time.

“God I missed you!” exclaimed Raquel between one kiss and the other and Sergio nodded.

“I missed you too” he admitted “How was your day as a tourist?”

“Great! Monreale is amazing! There’s so much gold in that cathedral that maybe you should consider to rob it, not the Bank of Spain” she mocked him “How was yours?”

“Mmh… emotional, I’d say” Sergio answered.

Raquel glanced at him with a sad smile. Of course, she knew what his business in Palermo were and also who Martìn was. She then raised her eyebrows, waiting for a more specific answer, and Sergio felt like he needed to jump over her in that moment. She was so sexy when she did that. He managed to resist his impulse and to explain her how he met Martìn and other two old friends as planned. They were all coming to Florence with them to help with the plan, who was still unknown for everybody else in the gang except for her. By now the only thing Sergio said to the others was that this plan was Andrès’ idea.

Let’s say Raquel was privileged in knowing Sergio’s plans because she would have been at the Professor’s side the whole time, _clearly not_ because they were sleeping together. They’ve already studied the plan a couple of times together, and she knew a lot of passages by heart, but Sergio was still having fun in revealing her some details little by little.

“Very well _Profesor_ …” she finally teased “Come here and undress your woman since she’s too tired to do it by herself”

“Don’t get me wrong but… We have to wake up early tomorrow, Raquel…” he started saying. Not that he didn’t want that, but he had to be focused during the preparation of the heist. And that was clearly not the right way to stay concentrated.

“Oh for fuck sake, Sergio!” she interrupted him, jumping on him and kissing him slowly. She teased him again kissing his earlobes and his neck until he couldn’t take it anymore.

Sergio’s arousal grew suddenly and started doing as she asked him. He unzipped her pants, hisfingers leaning on her intimate parts a little too much. She sighed with pleasure.

“I can’t take this anymore!” Raquel announced then, taking off her shirt rapidly.

She was always getting straight to the point, while Sergio liked to tease her undressing slowly. He liked to feel the anticipation before having her.

He grinned happily and his hands immediately run to her intimacy, thinking that she clearly wasn’t _that_ much tired by the day as a tourist.

* * *

Neither Sergio nor Raquel were really surprised when they suddenly woke up with a few aggressive strong knots at their door the next morning.

“Professor! Lisbon! Where are you!?!” screamed a voice from behind the door “You didn’t have breakfast with us and it’s seven! We were supposed to leave now!”

It was a clearly annoyed and a little worried Tokyo who was knocking.

Sergio looked down at his watch and almost choked in his spit. Raquel started laughing out loud.

Tokyo should have heard them and knocked again, this time more slowly.

“Oh no! _Joder!_ Don’t tell me…” she started.

Sergio slammed the door opened, putting his shirt on while Raquel was rapidly collecting their things and putting them in their bag casually.

“Yes, Tokyo, I tell you” Sergio smiled at her “Thank you for bringing us back to reality tho. We’re coming in a minute”

“Well, we are waiting downstairs” she announced before leaving, then she stopped and turned back “Ah, yes, three other men are with us too. They claim to be part of the gang and they call themself Palermo, Bogotà and a French city I can’t remember. They seem to know each other” she said confused.

“Yes, Tokyo. They are with us” the Professor reassured her and she left relieved.

“Marseille!” he then screamed from the door to the girl who was already on the stairs “The French city is Marseille!”

Tokyo sighed and pretended not to have heard him. She really couldn’t believe they were having sex while her Rio was a prisoner!


	17. Foxes and eagles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I'm sorry if you had to wait a couple of days for this new chapter but... here it is!  
> I really hope you'll like it and let me know what you think in the comments!
> 
> Every criticism or compliment is appreciated! :)

_“[…] Que hay otro ser por el que miro el mundo_

_porque me está queriendo con sus ojos._

_Que hay otra voz con la que digo cosas_

_no sospechadas por mi gran silencio;_

_y es que también me quiere con su voz._

_La vida—¡qué transporte ya!—, ignorancia_

_de lo que son mis actos, que ella hace,_

_en que ella vive, doble, suya y mía. […]”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), XXI

* * *

The whole gang, new members included, arrived in Florence on a grey and cold early spring morning.

Sergio had told everybody they were going to spend a couple of months in an old monastery, where they could be safe and plan the new heist without too many problems. A dozen of quiet and polite monks were the only inhabitants of that beautiful place.

Raquel happily got out of the van as soon as they stopped in front of the monastery. Her legs were tingling a bit because she’d spent the last few hours seated in that car, while Sergio was driving and Martìn was asking them inappropriate questions for the whole trip. Indeed, her patience had already been put to a hard test and she was asking herself how she could manage to live with the whole gang for months.

Lisbon decided not to think about it now anyway. They had to start with the planning immediately. The sooner they finished, the sooner Rio would have been free and everything could come back to normal: everybody separate ways without bothering her happy family life anymore.

She started walking proudly behind Sergio, with Palermo by her side, as soon as her boyfriend exchanged a resolute glance with his friend and started approaching the monastery. He already knew that place well - his brother used to live there - so he walked through the giant hall, passed through the arcade and climbed the stairs of a remote sectionof the monastery.

The whole gang was following him silently, listening to the voices coming from the monks’ choir, as he immediately entered a small room with the furniture covered by white sheets and a lot of dust. Lifting the sheets, he revealed a few desks and a big blackboard.

_Bienvenidos_

He wrote on the latter with a chalk and then he added something

_Otra vez_

He turned just to see that everybody had already chosen a desk and sat there without a word. They were all smiling at what the Professor had just written on the blackboard and, looking at them, he could have told that planning heists was the most normal and natural thing to do on a regular day for them.

Lisbon wasn’t sitting among the others but she was standing a little behind the Professor as planned, with her arms crossed and a very serious expression.

She and Sergio had discussed together what her role could have been during the heist and they decided she would have stayed outside the Bank of Spain with Sergio, to help him with the negotiations and the Police. She could have also come in handy in case the Professor had to do something outside his command centre or in the improbable - but still possible - situation in which he wasn’t able to communicate with the inside of the Bank anymore. She would have ran the operations _with_ him.

Sergio had been really happy about that decision for many reasons. This way she could stay close to him and he wasn’t alone this time, plus she was safer in the command centre with the Professor than inside of the Bank, where a bulled could have reached her in any moment. Sergio could have never let something like that happen to her.

Raquel thought pretty much the same but she would have never admitted that. Sergio knew she cared about ending this heist with both of them alive tho, he knew her enough.

“First of all, no personal relationships”

These were the first words Lisbon could really catch from the Professor’s first speech which had already started a little before. Everybody stayed completely silent as Sergio stopped and turned to Raquel. She glanced back without moving, but raising her eyebrows in a guilty and doubting look.

He sighed in defeat.

“Well, that rule’s been…” the Professor started again but he was interrupted by Denver’s laugh.

Raquel grinned but she could tell Sergio was really uncomfortable and nervous in that moment and the way he adjusted his glasses told her she was clearly right. She wondered why he was acting this strangely. He was supposed to be in his favorite environment. Controlling everything. She also knew he'd missed that in some ways. That behavior was odd.

The Professor started talking again to review the second fundamental rule but a curious Nairobi fortunately stopped his misery and exhorted him to _really_ start talking about the heist.

Raquel mentally noted to thank her for that later.

* * *

The remaining part of the lesson went pretty well.

The Professor seemed to be more comfortable after telling them they were going to enter the Bank of Spain just, quoting him, “ _haciendo mucho ruido_ ”.

He narrated the first steps of the heist rapidly and Raquel gladly noticed everybody was paying attention. Good, because it was almost her turn to talk.

Lisbon felt really good while she was instructing the other members about who could have taken control of the operation. She and Sergio both believed that Colonel Tamayo would have been in charge, since Colonel Prieto wasn’t feeling well lately and, more importantly, since his last real heist had not brought the success the authorities wanted. Raquel had to thank her partner if that sexist bastard was now having a tough time in the Police.

Anyway, Lisbon explained they still hadn’t figured out who could be the Inspector in charge this time. They were still working on it. She had some ideas but they didn’t feel like the right choice the Police would have made in that situation. It really didn’t matter to the others since it was her and Sergio who would have talked to him or her. According to the plan, nobody else would have had the chance to do it, but the Professor agreed the gang should have been informed about everything, Police members and tactics included.

Thinking better about it, when Lisbon said out loud the new Inspector would have been someone really tough, who could have acted without inhibitions and unscrupulously, a name and a face suddenly appeared in her head. It was like something clicked in her mind and she immediately thought that could be a good choice from the Police's side. Lisbon was sure she'd just figured the new Inspector's identity out.

At the very end of the class, the Professor communicated they would have worked and studied every day, except for the Sunday afternoons, because they had to hurry. Of course, late night parties and super-alcoholic drinks were forbidden. He’d also added that they’d all been divided in couples and they would have cooked and washed the common spaces according to a predefined schedule that was hanging on the kitchen door. Somebody tried to protest but he really didn’t care. He’d had enough of fights about that in Toledo and he’d acted to prevent them this time.

“A kind monk is waiting for you in the hall and he will show you your rooms. Please join him and…” he looked at Tokyo and Nairobi in particular “…be discreet. Class dismissed!” he announced. He then put a hand in his hair and sighed before going to tidy his desk from the papers.

Raquel didn’t follow the others in the hall but stayed with Sergio, helping him with the papers. It seemed he was trying to hide his preoccupation but Raquel could read him like an open book.

“Our first class went pretty well” she announced proudly.

“Yes, it was good" he mumbled "But it was also the easiest one”

“Ok Sergio, enough. Are you all right?”

“Yes, why?” he asked calm.

“Because… you are lying to me, I can see that. What happened?”

“Nothing. Really”

He seemed sincere this time. So nothing in particular happened. What was worrying him then?

“You know you can tell me everything…” Raquel told him calmly and took his hand in hers.

“Yes, I know but…”

He stopped for a while and sighed but Raquel was glancing at him with her sweet and amazing eyes and he couldn’t take it anymore.

“But all of this... I don’t think this is going to work” he admitted.

“What!?! Of course this is going to work! We can save Rio and then go back home safely. Your plan is perfect!” she exclaimed, confused.

“My plan is _good_ , Raquel, it is not perfect. About the first part yes, I agree with you that we can save Rio, but then… It’s almost impossible to escape from the Bank of Spain without being killed. That’s why I refused to do it in the first place and I went for the Royal Mint plan instead. That's why the plan is _not_ perfect, why I don’t feel like it is completely mine after all the hard work: there’s practically no way out”

“Well, I suppose I can’t assure you everything is gonna be perfect”

“You cannot indeed”

“But I trust you. We can improve the plan and find a better way out, I’m sure. That’s why we are here: to improve it”

Raquel really believed what she was saying. Maybe he didn’t have so much time to plan this heist as he'd had for his first one, but the ideas were really good and she was sure they could become even better. She believed in him and, for what was worth, in his brother too. They planned it years ago with Palermo and he didn’t seem a fool either. That plan could definitely work.

“Thinking abut the heist…” she started talking again “I think I know who the new Inspector could be. It just came to my mind while I was talking during the lesson”

“And you say that like this!?!” Sergio exclaimed and seemed a bit relieved “That’s a wonderful news!”

He waited a bit but Raquel still wasn’t talking.

“What’s happening? Who is it?” he then asked.

“Oh, Sergio, I really wish I am wrong. If she is the Inspector we are pretty fucked. But I bet I am right. Thinking about it, it explains a lot about how Rio has been captured and the fact he’s being tortured”

“She?” asked Sergio, who was now concerned again.

Raquel slowly nodded with a sad smile.

“No, please, not an other woman!” he exclaimed, exasperated, and Raquel frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean... If there's a thing I've learned in the last couple of years with you and Paula is that you are way smarter than men! You are quicker in thinking and more intuitive. I think it’s because of your natural maternal instincts”

“You saved yourself, for now…” Raquel announced, glancing at him.

“Thank you. I’m sorry, were you saying?”

“You know, when I was at the Academy everybody used to call me _the fox_. My colleagues used this appellative because I was better during the night when we were sent in the field. I shot better when the visibility was low. I’ve always caught the bad guys using my intelligence, my strength and my agility. To sum up, I was smart. But I also had some moral principles and good social skills, even if I was naturally shy. I could be domesticated if I wanted to”

“That’s… cute. But why are you telling me this?”

“Because she was attending the Academy with me, we have been trained together. And because… she’s definitely not like me. She’s not a fox, she’s worse. She’s like an eagle. She waits, she looks for her prey from above, from the distance and then she suddenly hurls herself on it. She has no scruples and she likes to hunt alone. That’s why she’s probably in a desert place to torture Rio. She simply doesn’t care about anything but herself. She has the gut to torture someone until he cracks ands has the knowledge to do it without letting him die”

Sergio looked in Raquel’s eyes while she was saying all this. He can see a sparkle in her eyes but he couldn’t really figure out what it was.

“Her name is Alicia Sierra” Lisbon finally told him “and she is a Golden Eagle. Do you know what this means?”

“Golden Eagles’ favorite preys are the foxes” Sergio stated and swallowed seriously.

“Not this time. Not when foxes stay in herds. You underestimate the power of the herd, the social skills, and she does too. If we act together she could never fight all of us, and she would never see her defeat coming. Plus, we have two things to our advantage: she'll try to separate us but we are now prepared to that and she'll be at Tamayo's orders. Rest assured Alicia Sierra will never agree with them nor follow them”


	18. The football match

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!   
> Here I am with a new chapter! I decided to explore the events of the football match in a peculiar way. I hope you'll appreciate it!
> 
> Thank you again for all the kudos and super kind comments! :)
> 
> (IMPORTANT. Please read the notes at the end of the chapter: I really need your opinion to go on with the story!)

_“No quiero que te vayas,_

_dolor, última forma_

_de amar. Me estoy sintiendo_

_vivir cuando me dueles_

_no en ti, ni aquí, más lejos:_

_en la tierra, en el año_

_de donde vienes tú,_

_en el amor con ella_

_y todo lo que fue. […]”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), LXIII

* * *

Sergio smiled happily when Tokyo caught the ball Palermo had just kicked. Raquel’s team won and he was happy.

It was almost twenty days that the gang had been reunited in the monastery and they didn’t have a single break from the plannings of the heist. One night, at dinner, everybody seemed so exhausted that Raquel suggested they all needed some time off. She tried to persuade Sergio to let them have a free day and she managed to convince him at the end. They came to the agreement the gang could have some free time but they all had to have a football match. It was a good idea to let them relax and have fun, but it also could have helped them with the team work since they would have been divided in two random teams.

Now the Professor was pretty satisfied with the result of the match. He didn’t play with the others but they needed a referee and he gladly accepted that role. There had been a couple of fights during the match, like the one when Denver squeezed Palermo’s balls at the end of the game. Sergio made them shut up when they started fighting but he couldn’t say he didn’t laugh when Denver, a little later, had pulled down Palermo’s pants leaving the latter quite pissed. The Professor whistled because that clearly was a fault.

“You think because I’m gay you can put your hands on my balls!?!” Palermo exclaimed, making everybody laugh.

The game ended with the penalty kick by Palermo, that Tokyo managed to ward off, and everybody from the red team exulted for the victory. Lisbon included, who suddenly jumped on Helsinki to hug him like a big bear.

Sergio wished she would have come to him to triumph but she couldn’t blame her for being happy with her team and not with the referee either. He glanced at the losers team members who were sitting on the grass, clearly tired and depressed, then he put down the whistle and sat in the shadow of a column on the porch.

He watched Raquel move away from Helsinki and exchange a triumphant high five with Tokyo before approaching the green team to mock them. She really had fun playing but she seemed exhausted.

“Lisbon!” Bogotà called her “Come sit here! A defeated man could really use some company from a wonderful woman!”

_“What!?! Seriously?”_ Sergio thought in his head. Did he hear well? _“What the fuck is happening?”_

“Bogotà, don’t act like an asshole!” Nairobi screamed back to warn him.

_“Damn she’s right!”_ Sergio thought but he didn’t feel like intervening would have been a good idea. Raquel could have killed him later if he tried to defend her.

He looked at his girlfriend raising a hand to Nairobi and saying something like “Thank you, it’s fine” before approaching Bogotà. The latter tapped on the grass next to him and she sat down there with a big smile.

Sergio started feeling something that twisted in his stomach but he couldn’t tell what it could be. Maybe he was just hungry but it was just 5pm. That was odd...

This sensation of feeling really uncomfortable grew stronger as Bogotà offered his water bottle to Lisbon and she drank.

Sergio couldn’t take it anymore, so he stood up and walked away without saying a word. He rapidly climbed the stairs and entered the bathroom to take a shower. 

_“What the fuck it’s happening here?”_ he asked himself again when the water touched his hair and ran down his shoulders _“What’s happening to me?”_

The answer to his questions would have been obvious for everybody except for him. He’d never had a lot of social skills. He'd never been a relationship kinda person. He couldn’t recognize his feeling because he’d never felt it before.

* * *

“Nairobi’s right” Lisbon announced when she’d taken the last sip of water “Stop acting like an asshole. God, you men here are all so sexist!”

She looked around and tried to find Sergio but she couldn’t find him anywhere. She stood up before Bogotà could say something morello defend himself.

“Thank you for the water anyway” Lisbon mumbled sarcastic and walked away.

She went inside to look for Sergio - God only knows why he disappeared without a word soon after the match - and she immediately heard the water of the shower from the hall.

_“There you are”_ she thought when she reached the bathroom’s door, knocking slowly and entering before Sergio could answer. Certainly it wasn’t a problem anymore if she entered while he was naked in the shower.

“I couldn’t find you anymore” Raquel told him.

“I know. I needed a shower” he answered with a cold voice and turned the water off. He exited the shower and took his towel without saying anything anymore.

Raquel frowned perplexed

“What is it?” she tried to ask.

“You didn’t come to thank me after the match” answered a pretty annoyed Sergio.

“Thank you _for what_ , exactly?”

“Because you won? I wasn’t a completely impartial referee, don’t you agree?”

“Yeah, probably… but I don’t think anyone noticed it, if that’s what’s bothering you. Just Palermo noticed maybe, but he knows you well…”

“This is not the problem” Sergio interrupted her.

“…So what is it?”

“You drank from Bogotà’s bottle”

“Yes, and…?”

“And!?!” Sergio exploded “And he can be… sick. If he’s sick then _you_ can get sick and _I_ can get sick! And the problem is we cannot afford to get sick!”

“I see…” she mumbled after a few seconds of silence.

“What?”

“I know that an illness is not the problem either”

“It is… we really can’t…”

“Ok. Now stop it. Stop this theatre, Sergio” she interrupted him rudely “At least have the courage to admit it!”

“Admit what?” he asked really confused.

“Admit that you are jealous”

“Wait, Raquel. _W_ _hat_!?”

“Oh fuck you!” she suddenly exclaimed but she can tell Sergio was really confused about the situation. She took a deep breath and repeated to herself that her boyfriend was a real failure when it came to relationship matters.

“You. Are. Jealous!” she repeated slowly, emphasizing every word “All this ‘you didn’t thank me’ and ‘you can get sick’… it’s just because you are jealous!”

“No, no, no… I’m not. I’ve never felt jealous in my life” Sergio denied and shook his head.

“And I’m pretty sure about it. But you are now”

“And why should I?” he asked, looking for answers.

“Because… You never saw me around men this much. It has always been just you and me back in Palawan and now we are in a very different situation. There are other people who have feelings and well… try to connect with each other. Bogotà just made you realize this earlier, it’s perfectly normal”

“It’s not normal that a man who knows that you are in a relationship asks you to comfort him! And you shouldn’t have done it, Raquel!”

“I didn’t do it! I just sat next to him!”

“You should have ignored him and come to me!”

“Oh no, Sergio. We are not discussing this” she suddenly announced stepping back from him “I’ve already had enough of possessive men in my life with my ex husband and you know that! He was used to say how I should do my make up or where I should have gone and when! You are not this kind of monster! I’m going to wear what I want whenever I want and you have no right to judge me!”

“Of course you can dress as you want, Raquel…” he started saying but she continued talking.

“And I’m also talking to who I want! No matter if these people are women or men, sweet or rude! I’ll sit next to Bogotà when I fucking want, even if he’s a sexist bastard as I also said to him earlier!” she screamed angrily.

“Raquel...”

“Don’t talk to me! I have to be alone now!” and she walked away, slamming the bathroom’s door.

Sergio was left there alone and pretty much shocked.

So that feeling he had earlier was jealousy as Raquel wisely pointed out... Probably she was right. She was always damn right. Anyway, now that feeling had shifted into an uncomfortable sense of guilt. A consciousness that he’d really screwed everything up this time.

* * *

The gravity of the situation was immediately clear to him later at dinner, when Raquel chose to sat at the other side of the table with Nairobi and Monica. He didn’t dare to look for her around the house earlier, since she asked for some privacy. Now he was wondering if he should have done something. She seemed really angry and she never glanced at him for the whole night.

It was just when Raquel asked Tokyo if she could sleep with her that night and walked away that Sergio realized how much fucked he was. He definitely had to do something. He could never let it happen. Raquel never even really liked Tokyo - and the thing was mutual - so his girlfriend must have been really desperate.

He run upstairs to stay alone a bit and think about a solution.

Nairobi followed the Professor, worried. She saw him closing his bedroom’s door behind him and waited a second, then she knocked and entered without a real permission.

“You really screwed up, _Profesor_ , didn’t you?” she asked “Lisbon asking to sleep in in Tokyo’s room… this is bad”

“Yes it is. I don’t really know what to do, Nairobi” he admitted with his voice full of desperation and regret “I don’t want to loose her! She’s everything to me…”

“Then go talk to her!” the girl exclaimed, opening the door and showing him the way out with a hand “Whatever happened, I’m sure this is the reason why it happened. Stand the fuck up and go! Tell her _that_ immediately, unless you don’t really want to loose her!”

Sergio couldn’t really understand how he could collect the courage to do such a thing but, deep down, he knew Nairobi was right. He stood up and reached Tokyo’s bedroom reluctantly. He died to think how he could fix this mess. 

When he heard soft sobs coming from behind the door he didn’t hesitate a single second more to enter the room and make it right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, thank you for reading the chapter! Let me know in the comments what you think about it!  
> Sorry if I write about Sergio and Raquel's fights so much but I really like exploring their 'darker sides'.
> 
> Also, I NEED YOUR HELP!   
> There's just a couple of chapters left to write about their time in Italy and then they'll enter the Bank!  
> My idea was writing until the robbery starts, and then continuing the narration from the end of the heist (about the time of the end of season 4).   
> This is because I really don't want to repeat the events of the series that much, I wanted to explore the missing moments mainly. But... If you really like to know what happens also during the robbery, I can write something! I can work on it if you'll like it!
> 
> So... just let me know your opinions about it! :D


	19. Plan Paris

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> Thank you for your amazing feedbacks on the last chapter! I'm really happy about them!
> 
> I hope you'll like this one too!  
> Let me know what you think :D

_“[…] Te vi, me has visto, y ahora,_

_desnuda ya del equívoco,_

_de la historia, del pasado,_

_tú, amazona en la centella,_

_palpitante de recién_

_llegada sin esperarte,_

_eres tan antigua mía,_

_te conozco tan de tiempo,_

_que en tu amor cierro los ojos,_

_y camino sin errar,_

_a ciegas, sin pedir nada_

_a esa luz lenta y segura_

_con que se conocen letras_

_y formas y se echan cuentas_

_y se cree que se ve_

_quién eres tú, mi invisible.”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), XII

* * *

Raquel really tried her best to stay angry at Sergio for his reaction after the football match, and for a couple of days she honored the promise to not give him many attentions and especially not to have sex with him until she really forgave him. 

Anyway, after a few hours she’d already realized she was being too hard on him and she tried to accept that his behavior was normal because he cared about her. He cared very much. Sergio was being overprotective because he feared she could leave him, as he told her when he came to ask for her forgiveness that night. It didn’t take too long for Raquel to convince herself about that. Ok, maybe sometimes he cared _too much_. But why should she force herself to stay mad at the love of her life?

* * *

_Raquel was now jeopardizing her bag, looking for the sexy lingerie she brought to Italy. She’d never really needed something sexy to tease Sergio, but sometimes she just liked feeling comfortable with her body. Plus, that was the good moment for a surprise to her boyfriend, since he’d just announced he wanted to revise the escape plan with her that night. She really was not in the mood for studying. She had to find that lingerie._

_As soon as she found it, she ran to the bathroom to change and wait for him to enter their bedroom. Her ears were focused on the noises coming from the corridor when suddenly…_

“He’s inside” _she thought and waited a little more just to be sure he was fully relaxed, just asking himself where she was._

_Raquel entered their bedroom wrapped in her bathrobe and slowly closed the door behind her._

_Sergio heard her but continued looking down at the papers he was examining, that were also covering a big part of the bed. He was trying to avoid every contact with Raquel, since she asked for some space after their conversation about the football match. The night before, at the end, she decided to sleep in her bed but she avoided every contact with him. She didn’t look for his arms to embrace her neither she fell asleep with her head on his shoulder as she was used to do._

_“I have to talk to you about the escape protocol” he started saying but she remained silent while she slowly let the bathrobe fell from her shoulder to the ground._

_Sergio was simply respecting her decision to stay alone and that’s why he held his breath when he saw Raquel in front of him._

_His eyes run on the perfect curves of her hips and then he frowned, confused, but immediately threw the papers away. Her sexy glance, her black lace lingerie… the message was pretty clear._

_“Well, I think the protocol can wait” he announced happily as his hands started unbuttoning his pajama shirt._

_“No, no, tell me about it” Raquel prompted, slowly getting closer to him “Take it as some kind of job training under pressure” she suggested then and took off his shirt, making some buttons fall on the floor._

_She kneeled in front of Sergio and her hands run delicately down his thigh, then in his pants as soon as he started talking about the first step of the protocol._

_“A very good point one. And point two?” she asked and stood up._

_Raquel started undressing - if what she was wearing could be considered like some clothes at all- and Sergio felt very difficult to concentrate on the second step._

_“I’m not hearing the point two,_ Profesor _” Raquel teased him. She knew she was giving him a hard time but she found that very sexy and she didn’t want to stop._

_Sergio started explaining the second step calmly and she sat in his lap with her legs wrapped around his body. She could feel he was hard and ready so she continued tasing him until he entered inside her._

_They both started moving slowly and breathing harder, feeling the pleasure of being reunited again._

_Raquel sighed with pleasure and smiled. Why on earth did she refuse all of this during the last two days?_

_“What’s the name of point two? You give a name to everything” she asked._

_“_ Epicentro _” Sergio revealed, whispering against her mouth._

_Then he started to explain how they could hide on trees in the forest but Raquel couldn’t take it anymore. She needed to have him, all of him._

_She took Sergio’s face in her hands and rapidly took his glasses off._

_“The class is over” she whispered, impatient, and pushed him back on the bed. She started kissing him passionately and he entered her harder. She sighed in contentment and savored the moment until the end. That amazing feeling of having him inside her, moving and breathing together… she could never get used to it._

* * *

Raquel let herself go over him, definitely satisfied. 

Nobody would have ever told that but Sergio was actually really good in bed. She’d always hoped they could repeat a lesson like the one they had about the escape protocol, some days before. She tried her best to let him understand by himself her need to repeat that lesson, but unfortunately it never happened again. They were sleeping together almost every night and he should have known what she likes by now, after more than two years they were together. But sometimes Sergio just seemed really dumb.

Raquel was pretty much exhausted and she was slowly running two fingers on Sergio’s arm, making him shiver, as she suddenly remembered about something they should have studied together the following day.

_Plan Paris._

That’s how Sergio had called it earlier. She was too curious and wanted to know more.

“What is the Plan Paris?” Raquel felt the need to ask. She didn’t move to look at him and remained focused on his perfect arm and the sound of his heart that she could hear from her position. 

Raquel felt him take a deep breath.

“It’s a rescue plan in case one of us gets caught” he explained whispering.

Raquel immediately raised her head and looked at Sergio with a serious expression. 

“And why Paris?” she frowned, faking perplexity. She felt like she knew the real reason but she just wanted him to say it out loud. She knew he didn’t choose Paris randomly, after all. He never did anything random, to be precise.

Sergio remained silent for some moments looking into her eyes, then glancing at the roof and finally turning his eyes back at her again. 

Raquel came closer to him, raising her eyebrows, and slowly caressed his torso to tease him.

“Well, it is…” Sergio mumbled embarrassed “It’s the city of freedom”.

“Mm…” Raquel grinned, leaving him free to continue, but she couldn’t suppress a soft laugh. 

He rolled his eyes and then surprisingly laughed too.

“…And of love” he finally admitted, raising his hand as a sign of defeat before letting it drop again on the mattress. 

_“Of course she won”_ Sergio immediately thought.

Raquel started laughing in the curve of his neck. 

She knew it! The Professor was a real romantic man behind the mask he was always wearing in public. She was very happy he could get rid of that stupid mask when they were together.

“I’m really happy you are here with me, Raquel” Sergio revealed some seconds later but, when he looked at her, he noticed her breath had turned slow and regular and she was already sleeping with her head on his chest. 

He brushed aside a strand of her soft hair and caressed her cheek with his thumb. She was so precious. And he was so lucky.

Sergio really meant what he’d just said. Having Raquel by his side had always been important to him. He was a better man when she was around, he’d become a better person since he met her. With Raquel he could share his deepest secrets and fears without being judged, he could be real.  
Sometimes he could still find himself thinking how it had been possible for him to find someone like her. How it had been possible that she entered the quiet mess that his life was as a tornado and turned everything upside down. 

But, thinking about it now, he couldn’t imagine a life without Raquel by his side, even if he’d always been alone most of his life. 

Sergio had initially reached her with all the worst intentions, to use her and manipulate her in exchange of informations, this was sure. But the connection he felt since the first time they metin Hanoi didn’t let him do such stupidities. _Fortunately_. He immediately fell for her instead and she felt the same. And Raquel chose him then. She chose him when she came to Palawan. She chose him when she decided to give him the chance of being a family together. She chose him when she let him raise her amazing sweet daughter, who Sergio rapidly learned how to love. Raquel was choosing him now that she was helping him with the heist. She was choosing him every day.

He was just feeling so full of love, so grateful. 

Sergio's mind was working so much that he couldn’t catch some sleep. 

He thought about to the fact he’d bought Raquel the diamond for her engagement ring a long ago but he never had the gut to really propose. He’d never regretted his choices as much as now and he was damning his lack of courage for it. He was sure now, looking at his amazing _mujer_ that was peacefully sleeping at his side, that he wanted his Raquel there forever. 

He suddenly realized that, after the heist, he wanted to do just a single gesture: to close the Professor in a drawer forever and to kneel in front of the woman he loved.


	20. Almost ready

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> I'm really really sorry if it took a little longer to post this new chapter but i had some problems with my pc during the last days. Thanks for your patience!  
> Now I resolved the problems and here I am with this new part! I hope you'll like it!  
> Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments!

_“Sí, por detras de las gentes_

_te busco._

_No en tu nombre, si lo dicen_

_no en tu imagen, si la pintan._

_Detrás, detras, más allá._

_Por detrás de ti te busco._

_No en tu espejo, no en tu letra,_

_ni en tu alma_

_Detrás, más allá. […]”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), III

* * *

The day of the robbery at the Bank of Spain was getting closer and closer. The tension inside the members of the gang was palpable. Everybody dealt with their fears and anxiety in different ways and it was difficult to tolerate each other in this situation full of tension. 

The night before, exactly three days before the heist, all of them had had a hard time sleeping. First of all Nairobi and Helsinki had been waken up by Denver and Stockholm’s screams. The latter seemed to have had a pretty loud couple fight and it became even louder when Nairobi stepped into the conversation and started yelling in the corridor to defend Mònica. Palermo joined them a bit later, taking Denver’s side and soon everyone had been out of bed to participate in the discussion. 

The Professor, who was starting to have an intimate moment with Raquel in their bed, sighed angrily and exited his bedroom to calm everybody down. Fortunately, everybody obeyed instantly and he could go back to his nasty business.

Everyone could imagine his anger when Tokyo slammed his bedroom’s door a few minutes later asking him to let her lead the group inside the Bank of Spain. Lisbon had not been happy either about that intrusion but she fortunately managed to stay calm and to not kill the other woman.

So basically everyone was on the edge, but during the last few days Sergio had had more mood swings than everybody else in the gang.

Raquel noticed there were some days in which he was feeling pretty much relaxed, like the onewhen they had lunch all together under the porch and Denver talked about the day Cincinnati was born, in which Sergio seemed sincerely happy. On the other hand some other days it was like he was off, like he was not completely believing the plan could work well. Raquel tried numerous times to talk about that with him, but not always she could manage to clear his mind from the darkness he was feeling.

Of course, the new strict sleeping rules the couple was trying to adapt to were not helping with the situation. They are trying to sleep a maximum of four hours every now and then to start the adaptation to the routine they had planned to follow during the tree days of the heist.

_Bip bip. Bip bip._

Lisbon’s watch alarm suddenly woke her and Sergio and she started to stretch. They had taken their nap on some wooden beds in the courtyard because Sergio had insisted to adapt to every situation. It seemed a bit too much for Raquel but she didn’t care, if that could help to calm him down. 

She stood up and the Professor next to her did the same without saying a word. Clearly the very uncomfortable nap they had didn’t help to calm him down. 

“What’s wrong?” Raquel immediately asked him, seeing he was staring at her. 

Sergio turned to look at his feet and mumbled a low ‘nothing’.

Raquel rolled her eyes. She was starting to be annoyed by his way of protecting her without telling her what worried him.

“You have doubts, don’t you?” She asked but he insisted on not answering, so she tried again “Do you want to backtrack?”

Sergio sighted with resignation and started confabulating that he needed to perfect the plan for something like _four_ more months. Lisbon knew they didn’t have so much time to save Rio, she didn’t even know how he could be now, after a copule of months of prison and tortures. Especially if the torturer was Alicia… They couldn’t wait so much more. 

“We can’t help Rio with a plan that doesn’t work” Sergio tried to explain to her.

“It doesn’t work?” Lisbon retorted “We’ve studied it together. It’s a perfect plan”

“No, No. It is not!” exclaimed the man, trying to remain calm without too much success tho.

Raquel couldn’t take it anymore. She was tired of his childish behavior, of his _selfish_ ideas. They had made a promise and they had to keep it. She wasn’t scared, actually she was pretty much excited fro some reasons, and she could be there for both of them, if just he’d let her help him. She had to make it clear.

“Do you know what’s wrong with you? You’ve become an egomaniac. You don’t trust the plan because it is not yours. It’s your brother’s plan, but he did trust you”

“Why do you have so much interest in joining the robbery? Why are you so anxious about it?” Sergio asked all of a sudden, raising his voice “I tell you. You are like those people who quit smoking and then start hating tobacco and the smoke and people who smoke, and they become the biggest Taliban against tobacco. That’s happening to you with the Police. You _hate_ the Police because they destroyed your life, because they tried to take your daughter away, because there’s an arrest warrant issued against you and you want revenge. _Revenge_. And you are not thinking about Tokyo or Rio or Berlin. You are thinking about yourself. And if that’s the case, then I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be part of the plan”

Sergio had said all of that without stopping a second. Without breathing or even thinking about it. And he regretted it the instant he stopped talking. He knew he’d been cruel towards Raquel. He knew he’d hurt her. God, she didn’t deserve all of this! He’d expected to see her shattered by his words, but her eyes said something very different when he looked at her.

She was hurt but not by Sergio, not by the man she loved. By the Professor instead. By the person who tried to keep her far from the plan more than once during the past months. Hurt by the man who still didn’t trust her.

Sergio couldn’t sustain her glance anymore. He looked down, hesitant, waiting for Lisbon to yell at him or to run away. Instead, she didn’t do anything. She remained silent, waiting for him to talk again.

“I need more time” he finally admitted. 

Raquel knew that. She knew Sergio well enough now to understand when he was loosing control of something and how much he hated it. She took his head into her hands and made him turn to her. 

“I know, Sergio. I know. But we don’t have time, don’t you know that?”

He nodded slowly. Of course he was aware.

“You have to trust the plan. You’ve worked on it, with me, with Martìn, as much as you could. There’s nothing more we can do. You have to trust your brother this time and you can always count on us. Even if you are rude with us sometimes” Raquel tried to reassure her boyfriend. 

She really hated seeing him like that.

“I’m… I’m sorry Raquel. I know… Thanks” he mumbled with a mixture of embarrassment and gratitude in his calm and low voice. God only knows how she could always be so patient with him. He didn’t deserve her. 

“Raquel, you have to promise me something” he then started saying “If something goes wrong, you run. If you are forced in a situation with the Police, tell them where I am. Tell them about the plan and let them catch me. We both know it’s me they want so desperately, not you”

“You know I cannot promise you this, Sergio. I’ll never betray you. Never”

“But you have your mum, you have Paula… You have to stay safe and free for them” Sergio tried to protest. 

“If I get caught, I’ll be sent to prison for years anyway. By the time I’ll be out of prison my mother would probably be dead and Paula would be a young woman who had to grew up without her mum’s support. Telling them where you are will not help me or you or anyone else. It will just mean that I’m handing the whole gang over to the Police. I can’t do that” 

“But…”

“No buts, Sergio” she interrupted him “My mum and Paula… they have you, don’t you realize that? They trust you and love you as much as me. If I ever get caught - and quite frankly I hope it never happens - _you_ have to promise me something. Promise me you’ll find them and protect them. Protect Paula as she was yours. You already are a father to her. You are her papa”

Sergio stayed silent, watching the love of his life who was trusting him to raise her daughter and take care of her mother. Raquel’s eyes were shining with tears.

In that moment, Sergio understood she was right. She always was. They needed to trust each other blindly in order to succeed. He was sure, more than ever, he could have done anything for her, raising her kid all alone included. He nodded and bend his neck to kiss her slowly. Raquel gladly returned the kiss, feeling a bit relieved. There was something nostalgic in that particular kiss, but mostly something very much real.


	21. Heist (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! Here I am with a new chapter!
> 
> After asking you what you preferred between narrating the robbery or resuming the story after the Season 4, I decided for a compromise. I decided to write a couple of chapters about the heist. The narrative will be a little different, like flashes of the story, to underline the feeling of uncertainty during the robbery and to proceed with the story quickly.  
> We all know what happened in Season 3 and 4 after all, but I couldnt simply jump to the end of Season 4 without this chapters.
> 
> So, I hope you'll not find them too boring.  
> Let me know what you think and, as always, thanks for all your kind comments and kudos! :)

_“[…] Tú, que no eres mi amor,_

_¡si me llamaras!_

_Y aún espero tu voz:_

_telescopios abajo,_

_desde la estrella,_

_por espejos, por túneles,_

_por los años bisiestos_

_puede venir. No sé por dónde._

_Desde el prodigio, siempre._

_Porque si tú me llamas_

_—¡si me llamaras, sí, si me llamaras!—_

_será desde un milagro,_

_incógnito, sin verlo._

_Nunca desde los labios que te beso,_

_nunca_

_desde la voz que dice: “No te vayas.”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), IV

* * *

3… 2… 1… Bum!

This was it. The front of the building had just exploded. 

The fake First Squad of BRIPAC’s Sixth Company was inside the Bank of Spain. The gang was inside the Bank of Spain. 

The Civil Guard and the Spanish Army did their job perfectly, as planned, helping the robbers to enter the building - not without some encouragement from the Professor - and helping them to safely evacuate a part of the hostages. The professor had called _aikido_ that part of the plan, because they needed the help from the authorities, they couldn't do it alone. 

Sergio finally let go the air he didn’t realize he was holding. Raquel did the same.

They looked at each other from their position in the command center.

Sergio whispered something. Something he knew was completely true. 

“There’s no turning back”

* * *

The Professor was painting. He needed fresh air. He violently opened the door of the camper, grasping new air.

The screen had just showed him one of his worst fears coming true. He’d always known the Governor’s bodyguards could be dangerous, Gandía could be dangerous. Andrés had warned him: he’d suggested to kill Gandía before the heist but, of course, Sergio didn’t listen to him. He didn’t want to kill anyone. They were not assassins. 

Now, for a brief moment, the Professor found himself wishing he’d listened to his brother for once. 

Gandía had just shot Palermo. _Palermo_. His brother’s best friend. The man he could consider as his brother. The man who was in charge inside the Bank of Spain.

In this moment, Sergio was more than ever aware that this heist was gonna be very different from the one at the Royal Mint. The plan was not his and he didn’t have enough time to make it his own. If he could have had a rewind button, he wold have pushed it. But, as he said, there was no turning back.

* * *

“Call her” Prieto suddenly said to Tamayo inside the tent, after announcing him he was in charge from now on “I sent her to interrogate Aníbal Cortés. Call her”

In the command center, Raquel and Sergio could listen to them. She turned to look at him. 

Raquel had been right, because they were clearly talking about Alicia Sierra. She would be the new Inspector in charge, unfortunately.

Tamayo’s voice echoed in their ears a little after. He quickly introduced himself before confirming what Lisbon and the Professor already knew. 

“First of all, I want the queen bitch here. Call me Alicia Sierra”.

* * *

Just when the Professor thought the tings couldn’t get more complicated, he saw Denver exiting from the front door of the Bank, waving a white shirt as a flag with a hand and holding two red boxes in the other. 

The Professor couldn’t believe his eyes. Denver was showing the boxes that contained the State Secrets. He'd exited the Bank, facing the snipers, completely unarmed and without protections. 

Sergio immediately understood. The Governor’s guards must have refused to leave the building as planned and Denver knew there was no other way to make the CNI stop the operations to enter the Bank. 

Denver found a solution, reckless and unplanned, but it worked. 

Sergio jumped from his chair, exulting. He kissed Raquel and held her close before running outside the camper. 

She followed him, jumped on him and they fell on the sand, the waves of the sea soaking their clothes. They kissed again and made love in the sea. They were happier than they expected for their first, tiny victory.

* * *

Tokyo was over the moon. Listening to the Professor’s calm voice, her guardian angel talking on the radio, telling her such a great news had been overwhelming. 

Rio was in Spain. He was there. And they were getting closer to their goal. 

They’d started to melt the gold, Nairobi was taking care of that part, and Palermo was starting to feel better. Some pieces of glass had damaged his eyes when Gandía shot to protect the Governor, but he was healing fast thanks to Tokyo’s perfect job in removing the pieces. 

Tokyo hugged Denver happily and Helsinki smiled at Palermo before hugging him too. 

Sergio looked at Raquel that was driving and she seemed quite happy. 

An other little victory for the gang.

* * *

Sergio decided to seat next to Raquel while she was driving. He was happy they could have some minutes to breathe and change their location. The last few hours have been a real rollercoaster of events and emotions.

“I would love to do a road trip like this with you some weekend” Raquel confessed, smiling “I mean, without having to rob anything”

Sergio immediately nodded. He would love that too.

“Yes, it could be our honeymoon” he suggested, not knowing where his words were coming from.

Anyway, Raquel seemed happy about his statement so he immediately forgot his words, relieved. 

“Yes” she confirmed “Well, for that we would need to marry first”

“Well, I’m already living with your mother. Marrying you isn’t a problem” he answered. Again, he didn’t know how these words came out of his mouth. That was definitely _not_ what he wanted to say. Fuck.

“ _Perdona?_ ” Said Raquel, frowning “What the fuck was that?”

Yeah, that was _surely not_ what he wanted to say.

“Marrying me isn’t a problem? Was that the proposal of a wuss? You throw the stone and hide your hand?” she asked, now serious.

“It was just a comment” said Sergio, who for sure didn’t know how to fix this mess. Raquel now looked really angry.

“Forget it. Forget it, because you’re making it worse. Call Marseille”

Sergio unfastened his belt with a sigh. He just wanted to disappear. He’d been really, really, stupid. He managed to stand up to go in the back of the camper.

“Hey” Raquel called him and Sergio stopped “If you want to marry me, ask for my hand properly”

Raquel exploded in a sincere laugh. She laughed. 

Sergio thought that he managed not to kill her just because he loved her too much. 

* * *

The first negotiation with Alicia Sierra certainly didn’t go as planned and expected. 

The Inspector took control of the situation and threatened Raquel’s mother and daughter. The Police were looking for them. Raquel knew she must have seen something like this was coming but she wasn’t prepared at all. Plus, the fact that Sergio was trying to talk for her to Alicia didn’t help at all. She knew how to deal with the Inspector and she could do that by herself. 

When Alicia hung up, Raquel grabbed the pencil in her hair and let them fall on her shoulders freely, then she turned to Sergio. She couldn’t stay calm and she yelled at him, without thinking twice.

_“She went after you because you are the weak link”_

Now his hurtful words were echoing in her head. He’d hurt her on purpose. 

* * *

At the beginning of the third day inside the Bank of Spain, came their third victory. 

It was 8.00 in the morning and Rio was free in front of the Bank, ready to enter, with the crowd in the streets screaming his name. 

Seeing him this happy had no price.

So, the Professor’s second negotiation with the Inspector went surely better than the first one. The fact that they had the whole SWAT team within the hostages helped, but Sergio did a pretty good job and played his cards better this time. 

The Professor knew Rio had probably been wired and he was even happier for this reason. That mic he was unconsciously wearing was their weapon for faking their escape.

* * *

Of course Raquel had something to say about the Professor forcing Rio and Tokyo to have sex. He must have become crazy during the last days. Raquel couldn’t let something like this happen. She didn't understand why she was so empathic and emotional during that days, but it didn't really matter. What Sergio was doing was simply unfair.

She tried treason with Sergio but she knew that wasn’t the problem.

“The problem is that I’m here, isn’t it?” she asked “And you would rather do this alone. Like a lone wolf. So let’s be clear for once. What’s happening?”

Sergio knew he was really happy to have her at his side but that feeling he was having… that sense that he was doing something wrong… it never left him since the beginning of the heist. He couldn’t even look at Raquel in the eyes, he avoided her glance, so she forced him to look at her.

“Sergio, look at me. What’s happening? What’s up?”

“I feel like I am betraying the gang” he finally admitted “I’m disrespecting the robbery. My brother could mix a relationship with all this, I can’t. I find it impossible. I can’t Raquel. I’m a chess player. Bobby Fisher would’ve never faced Spassky with his girlfriend at his side”

“I’m nobody’s girlfriend” answered Raquel, angrily “I’m here because I know the Police a lot better than you and a lot better than anybody in this gang”

“You know about protocols and negotiations, just like _I_ do. I beat you at this game, Raquel”

“ _Again_ ” Raquel thought “ _He’s hurting me on purpose again_ ”

“You beat me at this game?” she scoffed, trying to stay calm “I must be an idiot, because I thought we were in love”

Sergio could see her eyes filling with tears. He knew deep down that what he said was wrong. He knew it has been the Professor saying that, but he also knew he was right in a way.

“Look. My mother and daughter are in the Philippines and the Police are looking for them” Raquel continued, now visibly crying.

“I didn’t ask you to come” Sergio exclaimed.

“This is just revenge, isn’t it?” she finally understood “Since the Philippines. Since those nights you woke up dreaming about your brother. And Rio is the perfect excuse to avenge Berlin, isn’t it? But do you know what? You’ve already fucked up my life”

* * *

Those were the last words they said to each other before they saw the drone above their heads. The Police and the CNI found them. Suddenly all the memories about the Epicentro plan came back in their heads. The good times together were now far away, but that night had been just a few days back. Not months, not years. Just some days before. 

Sergio drove the ambulance for a while into the woods while Raquel prepared their bag packs. 

When she was ready to jump and hide into the woods, Sergio called her and begged her to be careful. 

“If they watch you, I’ll kill you” was the only answer she could think of. And she meant it. 

She jumped and run to a tree that seemed easy to climb. For some reasons she suddenly felt weak - strange enough since she’d always been in shape thanks to the Police Academy and her love for sports - and she realized she couldn’t climb that tree. Or any other tree since the dog were just a hundred meters away. She had to find an other way to hide due to the lack of time. 

* * *

Sergio had said he loved Raquel and he really meant it. He’d never had the courage to say that to her face to face, how stupid he was. 

Because of his words, Raquel found herself crying as a teenager, in front of a chicken and while she was hiding in the first barn she’d found. 

When the owners of that barn found her, she had to repeat in her head that Marseille was coming, she just had to wait. 

She tried to negotiate with the couple and she’d almost succeeded when Suarez found her.

_ Bang. Bang. _

Two gunshots. 

All that Raquel could think of was Sergio. Now he believed she was dead. She was trying to pull back the tears that were threatening to damp her cheeks. 

_"Fucking emotions. What's happening to the strong Raquel inside me?"_ she thought, perplexed. Why couldn't she simply stay strong?

She had to find a way to let Sergio know she was still alive or he could jeopardize the whole robbery because of the gunshots he’d heard.


	22. Heist (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys here's the new chapter. 
> 
> I know this one, as well as the last one, are a little more boring, but I can promise that the ones that will come are going to be great!
> 
> Thanks for your patience and let me know what you think!

_“[…] Tu verdad me asegura_

_que nada fue mentira._

_Y mientras yo te sienta,_

_tú me serás, dolor,_

_la prueba de otra vida_

_en que no me dolías._

_La gran prueba, a lo lejos,_

_de que existió, que existe,_

_de que me quiso, sí,_

_de que aún la estoy queriendo.”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), LXIII

* * *

_ Bang. Bang. _

Two gunshots. 

Then, just silence.

They killed her. They killed Lisbon. They killed Raquel. His sweet, lovely, Raquel.

It took just a bunch of seconds for the Police to end her life. And to end Sergio’s life too.

He immediately stopped running, knowing that he couldn’t save Raquel anymore, and fell on his knees on the ground, into the woods. 

He screamed and cried, desperate, ignoring Palermo’s voice in his ear. He just wanted everything to be over for good. 

Then, in a lucid moment, he realized something: she didn’t talk. Raquel didn’t betray him nor the gang. 

The message was clear. He had to complete his work, to go back home and keep his promise to Raquel: take care of her mother and daughter. 

She gave him a reason to get through this, even if it seemed impossible at the moment. 

When Marseille finally found Sergio, he noticed the Professor was more than broken. His heart was shattered in a million pieces. 

It was Marseille that managed to keep the Professor lucid. To make him think during the hours that followed, even if he wasn’t eating or sleeping anymore.

A few days later, Sergio would have thanked Marseille more than anyone else in the gang but he still didn’t know that. 

* * *

Raquel enter the tent dressed as a Police officer. 

When she removed her helmet, she saw everyone turning to her. Last time she entered that tent she was a respectable Inspector, now all her former colleagues were looking at her with pity in their eyes. 

Raquel immediately found Alicia and glanced at her, while she found herself walking to face the Inspector.

If she knew something in that moment, it was that Alicia would give her a very hard time. 

If there was something else that Raquel was sure of, it was that she would never talk, especially under that woman’s tortures. 

She would have done anything to protect Sergio, her family and who she could now call her friends. 

* * *

In some ways, punching Marseille had been liberating. And clearly, in the end, the Professor managed to convince him to go outside the Bank of Spain. 

Since when he’d talked to Tokyo, he’d had this feeling that maybe, and only maybe, Raquel was alive. If she really was, Inspector Sierra was interrogating her. 

He needed to check. Sergio would have done anything to be sure his _mujer_ was still alive, and that included fighting Marseille. 

* * *

_ “If you were reincarnated seven times, you’d never understand the nature of our love” _

When Raquel said this to Alicia during her interrogation she immediately felt it was true. God, she loved him. And she trusted him. 

She had this feeling, deep down, that he would figure out she was still alive and act to save her with the Plan Paris. At least she hoped. 

* * *

After hours without sleeping or eating Raquel was really feeling dizzy. And nauseated. Soon Alicia came to Raquel with the worst news the latter could ever hear: the Police knew Marivì and Paula were hiding in Mindanao, Philippines.

Raquel could just feel all her hopes shatter and she surrendered. To be precise, she _almost_ surrendered. 

Raquel was just about to call her mother, crying, when Antoñanzas approached her with her coffee and she saw it. She saw the watch that Sergio was always wearing. He never separated from that watch because it was his father’s. 

Message received: he knew she was alive, he was coming to save her.

* * *

If Gandía was never supposed to stay inside the bank there was a reason. He was dangerous and he was an assassin. The Professor knew that well. 

He wasn’t surprised when Tokyo told him Gandía found the way to free himself and hide somewhere, but he was scared because he knew what that man was capable of. He was an ex-mercenary, he had no doubt he could kill everyone without hesitation.

Having him free inside the bank was a very big risk for the gang and a great advantage for the Police.

As expected, Gandía didn’t hide for long. In a few minutes the Professor was blind. All the cameras of the Bank of Spain stopped sending images to his screens. He could only count on the radios from now on. 

* * *

Gandía took Tokyo in his panic room and chained her. 

But Nairobi was alive on the other hand. After Alicia ordered to shot her she’d been on surgery and remained unconscious. The good news was that she’d just woken up.

It didn’t take too long for the Professor to discover how Gandía managed to free himself: Palermo helped him. Fuck, Sergio could kill that man with his bare hands. 

Instead, he tried to take control of the situation again, moving the hostages and scouring every room in the Bank. 

They had to find Gandía and chain him again. It was vital.

A few minutes later the Professor found it. He found the panic room: it was in the Governor’s bathroom.

Sergio was happy he could still think straight after the mess the last hours have been. He found the room, and probably he also found Gandía. An other little victory for him.

* * *

“Professor… Gandía executed Nairobi” 

Palermo’s words sounded in Sergio’s head. He cried in desperation. 

They took an other life, an other friend. Oslo, Moscow, Berlin and now Nairobi too. This was unacceptable. The Professor felt suddenly empty, but also determined to pay them back.

He didn’t feel pain anymore, he was detached from his emotions, like a machine.

The Professor was ready to attack.

* * *

Teaching the whole Plan Paris to the Serbians had been a piece of cake for the Professor. He could almost say he had fun. 

When he knew Prieto had lied at the press conference about Rio’s tortures tho, he surely had fun. 

An other victory for him and the gang, this time not so little. 

This was the start of the Plan Paris. The Professor was going to save Lisbon.

* * *

The Professor maybe had much more fun watching the Sierra’s press conference. She admitted her crimes, saying she’d had orders from the government - and that meant Tamayo. Sergio knew she was a tough woman but not even in his dreams he could imagine she could do such a thing. 

The Professor knew his plan was working. Now the police, the CNI and the government itself were fucked.

Raquel had had almost as much fun as Sergio when they watched the conferences, when the part of Plan Paris in which she had to act came. She really enjoyed narrating every little detail of the planning of the heist, starting from the end of the last robbery. 

She told everything to the judge. How she met Sergio again in Palawan, how they planned to steal the 90 tons of gold inside the bank, how they reached the gold and how they were melting it.

* * *

Raquel breathed fresh air for the first time in days, exiting the tunnel. She looked for a camera, she was sure there was one and Sergio was watching. When she found it, she glanced there andsighed with a smile. 

Then she followed one of the Serbians outside, she got in the car and changed her clothes as planned.

“Professor, we have Lisbon” said Marseille when Raquel joined him on the helicopter.

Her entrance in the Bank that followed had been clear and without too many problems. Lisbon soon found herself surrounded by red jumpsuits and Dalì masks. Surrounded by her friends.

* * *

Sergio exulted from his position when Raquel entered the Bank safely.

“Professor, Lisbon is here. I repeat, we’ve got Lisbon!” screamed Tokyo on the radio. 

Sergio couldn’t hold back the tears. But they were tears of joy this time.

“Listen to me… This war, we’re going to win it” he announced to the gang. And he really believed it. 

From the radio he could hear screams. Lisbon had started an encouragement choir. 

“Por Nairobi!” they were all screaming. 

Sergio continued to cry silently. For once, he was proud of his gang, they finally worked together as a group.

The click of a gun brought him back to reality. Someone was behind him and pointing a gun. He jumped from his chair to catch a weapon but she was quicker and shot to scare him. 

“Checkmate, you son of a bitch”


	23. Inside the Bank of Spain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!  
> Here's the new chapter! I think you'll appreciate it more than the last two so... Let me know your impressions! 
> 
> Thanks to everybody who continued reading through the last two boring chapters :)

_“[…] Y cuando ella me hable_

_de un cielo oscuro, de un paisaje blanco,_

_recordaré_

_estrellas que no vi, que ella miraba,_

_y nieve que nevaba allá en su cielo._

_Con la extraña delicia de acordarse_

_de haber tocado lo que no toqué_

_sino con esas manos que no alcanzo_

_a coger con las mías, tan distantes. […]”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), XXI

* * *

“Ok guys, _hola_ everyone!” Lisbon made the choir she started shut and smiled “I must admit I’m quite happy to see you again”

“We’re happy to see you too, Lisbon!” exclaimed Stockholm, embracing her friend.

Raquel mumbled a soft _‘thanks’_ in her friend's arms and then her expression turned serious.

“I hope there’s no need to call the Professor to let you _all_ understand who’s in charge here from now on” Lisbon said firmly.

She glanced at the gang, stopping her eyes on Tokyo and Palermo especially. They all slowly nodded. Someone seemed more convinced than others, but she couldn’t care less.

“Great” she continued “We still have a couple of hours before the truce ends. The Police will respect their promise of the 48 hours truce, but after the mess we just made I bet they’ll enter as soon as their deal ends. I think we’ll be out of this fucking Bank before sunset, if they don’t cause us too much trouble”

Raquel suddenly felt completely drained, her energies gone, and she had to control her breath while a wave of nausea was overwhelming her. All her adrenaline of the past days seemed to disappear in a second. She felt exhausted.  She thought she must have had a terrible aspect because she immediately noticed Stockholm’s worried gaze on her.

“Raquel? Are you ok?” the woman asked, concerned. She’d always been so thoughtful with the gang, but especially with Lisbon.

Raquel swallowed loudly.

“Yes, thanks Monica” she answered “I guess… I just need a quick shower, I hope there is one in this huge building”

“Could a bath work?” Tokyo asked and, when Lisbon nodded, she added “Let me show you the way”

“Thanks Tokyo and… Can you give me the radio, please?” Raquel stopped for a second “And, guys, you have an hour to finish the melting of the gold. You can split in groups. Denver and Bogotà you can think of the gold melting, we all know we cannot exit this place without it. Stockholm and Rio you can watch the hostages and prepare them for their release. Palermo and Tokyo… You two come with me”

In a second everybody had left the room and occupied their position. Just Palermo and Tokyo stayed with Lisbon, while Stockholm stopped at the door on her way out. 

“You should probably eat something before the shower, Raquel” she suggested.

“Maybe later, I’m not hungry right now”

Monica looked at her with her characteristic smile, which seemed more concerned than usual.

“Don’t worry, Stockholm, the shower will take three minutes and I’ll be full of energy and back on duty immediately after” Raquel reassured her and she watched the other woman’s last curl disappear in the corridor.

“We have no time to loose” Lisbon announced to the only two people left in the room “Tokyo, give me that fucking radio! I kneed to talk to the Professor!” 

She wanted to add something like _“It’s two days I don’t hear his voice and I need it”_ to her sentence but she stopped, even tho that was the real reason why she wanted the radio so badly. Not that she had something specific to say to Sergio regarding the heist, she already knew the plan by heart, but she just needed to hear his voice again.

“Ehy, ehy. Calm down Lisbon” Tokyo grinned and slowly, reluctantly, gave her the radio.

Raquel ignored the other woman's comment and pressed the button on the top of the radio to communicate with the command center.

“Professor”

Silence.

“Professor, do you copy?” she asked again and squeezed the radio so tight that her knuckles turned white.

Silence again.

“Sergio! Are you there?” Lisbon almost screamed this time.

“Raquel. Nice to hear from you again, I was starting to miss you” a feminine voice answered back. 

Lisbon held her breath. This was a joke. It was impossible she could have found Sergio. Well... not impossible impossible but...

“Alicia…” she whispered in the radio.

“Yes, that’s how people usually call me” the other woman joked. Anyway, this wasn't exactly the right situation for a joke according to Lisbon.

“Stop it. Where is he? Is he ok? What did you do to Sergio?” Raquel started asking, terrified the Inspector could have hurt the Professor. Thinking about it, how in Hell did she found him?

“Too may questions, Raquel. Calm down, he’s fine. He’s here with me”

“I want to talk with him!”

“And I want a lollipop and candies - fucking hormones... - but there’s no trace of anything sweet in this filthy place” Alicia promptly retorted. Then there was silence again. The Inspector was probably smiling now and it really pissed Raquel off.

“Raquel…” Sergio’s voice suddenly came from the radio.

Raquel immediately forgot about being angry at Alicia and felt the tears rapidly falling down her cheeks, uncontrollably. She soon started sobbing. She was crying like a baby and she didn't notice Tokyo and Palermo looking at each other with surprised expressions.

"What's happening to her?" Tokyo whispered in Palermo's ear but he just raised his eyebrows and didn't answer. 

“Sergio… Are you ok? What did she do to you?” Raquel finally asked when she'd calmed down a bit. 

“I’m quite fine” the Professor admitted “The _eagle_ here just chained me to my chair. You were right Raquel, she came here alone. She acted alone and she wants to neg…” 

“Ok, ok. I think it’s enough for your couple fluff” Sierra interrupted him “What the Professor here was trying to say is that I came to negotiate”

Raquel sighed. That woman was impossible. And even smarter than they thought.

“So why didn’t you already reach an agreement with the Professor?” she finally asked, sincerely curious.

“Nobody said I wanted to negotiate with him. It’s you I wanted to talk with” said the redhead, as it was the most natural and normal thing to say on Earth. Raquel could mentally visualize the grin she must have had on her face. Of course she wanted to negotiate with her and, oh God, she wanted to punch that bitch!

“Go on. And quickly, Alicia” she finally said, a note of impatience colored her voice.

“Well, you know you two bastards fucked my career with the informations you released about Aníbal’s tortures”

“And I suppose that Tamayo asked you to announce you did everything on your own to the press. Technically, _he_ fucked you not us. Just like they did with me. Tell me Alicia, did you like it?” Lisbon continued. 

Raquel was sure - even if she couldn’t see it - that Sergio was rolling his eyes in that precise moment. If he’d had the possibility to move his arms he would have probably fixed his glasses on his nose. 

“Pretty accurate, Inspector” Alicia admitted “And no, I surely didn’t like it”

“That’s why you want to negotiate with me: I was in a similar situation about three years ago. What do you want? Probably there’s an arrest warrant against you. Handing the Professor over to the Police won’t be enough because you refused to declare you were guilty to the press. You know it, and they are furious. Am I right?”

“It’s not that I didn’t declare myself guilty at the press conference” Sierra answered and sighed “Ipublicly declared that what I did, I did it following CNI’s orders. I followed the Government's orders. I still can't see why they didn't like what I said...” 

Alicia chuckled.

“You really messed up this time, Alicia” Raquel laughed. She laughed because of what Sierra did and mostly because of Tamayo’s stupidity. He knew what that woman was capable of, how could he think she wouldn’t have told the truth?

“Hence, I need to leave this Country for good” Alicia finally admitted.

“What makes you think we can help you?”

“The fact that you want the Professor to live?” the redhead suggested.

“You know you need him to escape, that’s why you didn’t kill him earlier” Raquel retorted “You tortured Rio. You shot Nairobi _on purpose_ , Alicia. How can we help you after you killed her?”

“ _Technically_ Gandía killed her, not me. She survived my shot, didn’t she?” Alicia answered, using Lisbon’s own words to her advantage and mocking her. 

Raquel rolled her eyes. She really was exhausted and wanted this heist to be over as soon as possible. She was sure about what Alicia wanted from them, she couldn't see the goal in keeping this conversation going any longer.

“Well, Alicia, you’ll have the 5% of the gold from everyone of us” Lisbon started her negotiation “And I suppose you can escape with us. When we’ve crossed the national borders, you go your way and us ours. But you have to free Sergio and let him lead this operation. We can’t do this without him. Deal?” 

Raquel kept the fact that she could lead the operation alone for herself. there was no point in letting Alicia know she knew the whole plan since the beginning.

“Ah Raquel, Raquel…” was Alicia’s answer at first “I’m ok with the sharing of the gold, but about us... going separate ways… well, this baby will need a family. Don’t you agree?”

“Of course you would have used the baby to negotiate. Are you really this desperate, Alicia? You surprise me, you’ve always been an independent strong woman. I suppose you can raise your child in a foreign Country alone” Raquel sighed.

“Of course I can! Who do you think I am? But I don’t want to. He - or she - will be born in a month, will not have a father and I am a good mother who just wants a family for her child”

Raquel just pretended she never heard Alicia's last words.

“So, do you accept my proposal? The gold and we help you escape. Then we’ll think about where you cold go to live with your baby”

“We were great friends, Raquel. I hoped you could host me in your amazing house on your own paradisiac island. Our children could grow together, Paula and this baby…” Alicia teased.

“No way!" Lisbon replied "You said it yourself: we _were_ great friends. Years ago. We’re not friends anymore”

“We have a deal, then” the redhead admitted “But promise we’ll talk about this again, face to face will be better”

Lisbon could bet the red headed was smiling and having a lot of fun.  She thought this wasn’t funny at all but didn’t think could be useful to refuse to talk with her ever again in that moment. She knew Alicia must have been really screwed to come alone in the fox’s den to look for a herd that could accept her. 

“Deal” Lisbon whispered on the radio “Free Sergio now. And let me talk to him properly”

The other side of the line remained silent for a second and then Raquel heard Sergio's voice. They talked a minute, just to be sure each other was fine, nothing more. She closed the call with the promise of hearing from him in 20 minutes.

“Great, Lisbon! Sierra literally screwed you. And I thought you were a good negotiator!” Palermo exclaimed, before disappearing behind the door. 

“Oh, shut up! You betrayed us and let Gandía free! It's your fault if Nairobi is dead!” Tokyo screamed at his back.

Raquel, who had forgotten that they were there, collapsed on the floor with her head behind her hands. She breathed and calmed down a little before glancing at her watch. Thirty minutes and the truce was over.


	24. The crack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm really really really sorry because I kept you waiting for a lot of days. I've been super busy with the University and couldn't find the time to update. Sorry! 
> 
> For this reason and for the topic of this chapter, this time I wrote a longer one. I hope you'll like it. 
> 
> Also, unfortunately this is gonna be one of the last chapters of the story... there will be one, maybe two, more but it's almost the end... sad :(
> 
> As always, thank you for being so patient and for your kind comments and kudos <3
> 
> Enjoy!

_“[…] ¡Y, ay, cómo quisiera ser_

_una alegría entre todas,_

_una sola, la alegría_

_con que te alegraras tú!_

_Un amor, un amor solo:_

_el amor del que tú te enamorases._

_Pero_

_no soy más que lo que soy.”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), XXIII

* * *

The heist at the Bank of Spain ended better than everybody had expected, especially better than the Professor had ever wished. 

He managed to escape with every member pretty alive and sane. Helsinki had been shot in his left arm but he made it to the van - driven by Marseille - that helped them escape. There was a doctor waiting for them there, since the Professor imagined someone could get hurt while sneaking out the Bank and Helsinki had been immediately cured. The Professor had feared someone else could have died but this time had fortunately not been the case. He’d lost Nairobi inside the Bank though and that still hurt for him as well as for the others.

An other person had joined them instead. Saying that this change of plans had been unexpected would have been an understatement. Sergio wasn’t still sure of what he was feeling about Alicia Sierra being with them on their way to their new homes. He’d talked about it with Raquel as soon as they’d had the chance: Lisbon was convinced they could trust Alicia based on her previous knowledge of that woman. Apparently they’d been really good friends at the Academy, hard to believe but that was it. On the other hand, the rest of the gang hated Alicia - and for some very good reasons indeed - so the redhead managed to stay mostly silent and avoided everyone. So, Sergio never really had the chance to talk to her or know her better. In fact, right now, Alicia was alone in her room while the others were all dining together. 

For all this reasons the Professor was struggling between being proud of turning an other Inspector at his side and trying to find a good reason why he must trust her - except for the fact he trusted Raquel's opinion with his life and that Alicia didn't turn them in for now. 

With all this thoughts in his head, Sergio sighed with relief and a bit of sadness, looking at everybody that was eating around the table. 

They were in Florence again, together at the monastery, since they still had some business to take care of and since Stockholm and Denver’s child, Cincinnati, was waiting for his parents there. Sergio decided to use what Raquel had called ‘Epicenter 2.0’ for the escape plan. Which means they should have stayed in Europe, right under the Police’s nose, for some days before reaching the international frontiers. 

Sergio was happy he’d chosen that escape plan because he was sure the Police was lookingfor them everywhere, except for Europe. Plus, he couldn’t hide he was already feeling a bit nostalgic with the fact they would have never seen each other again. Hopefully but sadly. He was happy to have the chance to spend a few more days with his friends. 

Palermo suddenly broke the chatter around the table and waked Sergio from his thoughts with his loud, joyful voice. He was raising a glass of whine for a toast.

“To the better plan _I_ could ever think of and to the fact we made it!” he screamed and smirked at Sergio. 

Everybody knew the plan wasn’t completely Palermo’s work but he’d just said that to tease Sergio. The latter smiled and toasted with the others.

“Hey everybody! Time to move our rich asses to the party upstairs!” Tokyo screamed and happily stood up.

“Party? What party? The monks are sleeping!” Sergio tried to ask but nobody was paying attention to him, they've already stood up and they were walking away, leaving a surprised Sergio with a dozen of plates to wash. 

He turned to Raquel that was at the door, waiting for him to come and she showed an _‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you’_ expression. He swallowed, hoping that they chose the most far away room from the monks for their party, and gesticulated something to Raquel. 

She knew he would have never joined them but at least she’d tried. Raquel suspected he wanted to tidy the kitchen and then to work on the splitting of the gold so they could have finished in a couple of days. 

* * *

The party went quite smoothly for most of the night. It seemed that Palermo and Helsinki were finally officially together, while Denver and Monica were clearly still having some problems. About Tokyo and Rio they were not a couple anymore but, looking at the glances the guy was directing to his ex girlfriend, Raquel could tell they would have fixed their relationship soon. Manila was calmly sitting next to her and chatting friendly with Bogotà, glancing sometimes at a pretty wasted Denver - mainly when she thought anybody was watching. Lisbon of course immediately noticed it and smiled. She’d always liked looking at people and studying their behaviors and maybe that was what made her a good officer and thenInspector. Thinking about inspectors, she wondered were Alicia was and if she did the right choice in letting her escape with the gang. But so far so good, so it didn’t really matter. She wasn’t really surprised nobody had bothered to invite her to the party.

Later, Lisbon decided stand up from the couch and join the others in the middle of the room. Raquel danced for some time with her friends but, while her companions were drinking vodka as it was water, she wasn’t really in the mood for a drink and was eventually tired. She’d had troubles in keeping down much food lately, especially in the mornings, and she was starting to suspect the reason. Anyway she wasn’t sure and just didn’t want to risk a hangover to worsen the situation. 

“Wait, Lisbon!” screamed Helsinki when he saw her trying to sneak out of the room “Before you go, I wanted to toast once again”

Raquel took the glass of vodka he was kindly offering her.

“To a great friend and a loyal companion. To Nairobi!” intervened Tokyo when she noticed that Helsinki’s eyes were filling with tears already, leaving the big man incapable of talking.

“To Nairobi!” everybody repeated together and they drank again. 

Lisbon took just a sip. As said, she really wasn’t in the mood for a drink. She then left the glass on the table and walked away with a single image in her head: her bed. 

“I miss her…” she heard, from afar, Helsinki sobbing in Tokyo’s embrace “I can’t stop asking myself if she would have wanted a child the same by now”

“Oh, I think she would have loved to have a little smart Professor around her. I miss her too” the woman answered to reassure him.

Raquel, who had just reached the door, froze instantly. She remained speechless for a second, whisking she’d just heard wrong.

Palermo seemed to be the only one to notice it.

“Tokyo. What did you just say?” Lisbon asked, turning around and pacing the room on her way back to the group. 

Palermo stopped the music, thinking that a fight was too interesting to be disturbed by that stupid loud sound. Clearly he had no idea of what was really happening.

Tokyo frowned to the question, perplexed.

“I will miss Nairobi. Everybody will. She was our friend” the dark haired woman said, like it was obvious.

“No no, not that. _Before_ that” Lisbon suggested. But when she realized the others were staying silent, Tokyo suddenly realizing what she’d just said, she snapped.

“What the fuck did you say earlier!?!”

“Oh come on! Everybody here knows that Nairobi would have loved to have a little smart Professor around her! She asked to have her child with him and I think he agreed. You know that! We’ve had a girl’s party for that just a couple of weeks ago!” Tokyo said quite annoyed.

“What the fu… Tokyo!” Monica immediately stepped into the conversation because she’d just realized what had happened “You never told us! We knew the party was for Nairobi that was having a child from her friend with benefits, not from the Professor! For God’s sake! You lied to Raquel!” 

Everybody remained quiet in the room and Palermo was starting to regret he’d turned the stereo off. Monica seemed really pissed by her friends’ behavior and looked at Raquel. Everyone was expecting the former Inspector to say something.

“I need a moment, sorry” the latter announced before quickly leaving the room.

* * *

Almost half an hour and at least four cigarettes later, Raquel was still sitting under the porch of the monastery with her back on a column. She was really shocked. She didn’t know what she was supposed to say back at the party. She didn’t know what to think or how to feel. She was only feeling her stomach upside down and suddenly realized she needed to threw up. She swallowed, breathed slowly and in some way she managed to keep her dinner down. For now.

Was any of it real? Was this really happening? She knew she just had to ask Sergio but she didn’t want to face him. The strong woman that was Raquel didn’t want to know the truth because it hurt. Every memory of what she'd considered _their family life_ back in Palawan run in her mind like a flash. Sergio preparing pancakes for breakfast. Sergio dealing with every curiosity of her daughter and Paula playing chess with him. Her hands in his while they were diving in the water fully dressed… It all seemed like an old dream now. 

Clearly all of that had never been enough for him. She and Paula have never been good enough. He wanted something more and they’ve never even talked about it. She supposed he wasn’t really the kind of family man - and the fact he never even proposed was the confirmation. Not to talk about his desire to be a father. But she’d been clearly wrong. For all this time the idea never crossed her mind. She thought there were no secrets between them but… there she was. Crying now like a child while all her world had just collapsed. She wished all the happiness and joy and hope she’d had during the last two days there in Florence cold have been real. She wasn’t sure but if her gut was right, and it always was, so maybe she… 

A hand on her shoulder suddenly startled her. 

It was Monica, glancing down at her miserable figure with compassion in her eyes. She sat in front of Raquel, with her back touching the opposite column. 

“I’m so sorry, Raquel” she whispered. She came closer and wiped away the tears from Raquel’s cheek.

“Did you know?” Lisbon asked.

“No, God no! I was surprised as much as you. I swear if I’d known I would have never participated to the party we’ve had to celebrate it! I would have found the Professor and slapped him instead!”

“Yeah. Me neither” mumbled Raquel with a sight “Thank you, but now I think it’s my job to slap him. It’s just… I’m not ready. I wish he’d been honest with me…”

“I know. what are you going to do? You have to be strong. What you two have is… special”

Damn, Monica was so right she didn’t have the slightest idea! Raquel and Sergio have always had a sort of connection, a mutual unsaid agreement. Despite their discussions, they moved together, in synchrony, they completed each other. At least this was what Raquel felt from the moment they met. 

All of a sudden she made her decision. She would have let him explain this by himself, when he would have found the courage to face her.

“I know it’s silly but what I think… he will come to me and explain this, I know. I’m tired of getting the words out of his mouth” Raquel suddenly said, with a mixture of disappointment and hope in her voice. 

“So you’ll just… let go?” Monica asked with a frown. 

“What!?! Of course not!” Lisbon exclaimed “But I will give him some time to make this right. By himself. If he doesn’t… well, I don’t want to believe or think this is going to be an option. But anyway, if he continues to lie I will leave him. I don’t need a man to be a complete and fully realized woman”

“That’s my Lisbon” Monica proudly announced when Raquel turned and entered the monastery without a further word.

Monica wished the Professor could fix his mess. She desired Lisbon could forgive him for being so naïve with his life. 

During the following days Monica noticed that Raquel had maintained a sort of distance from the Professor - and was sure he was having a bad time about it - but she could also see how much they cared about each other. They glanced at each other when they thought the other wasn’t seeing. Sergio always looking for Raquel when she wasn’t at his sight… They cared for each other. And Monica was sure, now more than ever, after observing them during these days, that they already had something to keep them together. They probably just didn’t know.


	25. One night, that you fell in love with a shadow (Epilogue)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Here I am with a new and, unfortunately, the last chapter of my story.  
> I warn you that it's longer and there is a lot of Serquel fluff in it!
> 
> As always, I would like to thank you for your support and kind comments and kudos during the past months I've been updating.
> 
> I hope you will like this epilogue and let me know what you think!
> 
> As you will see this chapter brings a couple of big cliffhangers so... I don't know we'll see what will happen next. 
> 
> Please, if you have time, read the notes at the end in which I'll make some acknowledgements and ask you for some suggestions for the future. 
> 
> Now... Just seat back and enjoy! :)

_“[…] Y nunca te equivocaste,_

_más que una vez, una noche_

_que te encaprichó una sombra_

_-la unica que te ha gustado-._

_Una sombra parecía._

_Y la quisiste abrazar._

_Y era yo.”_

Pedro Salinas, _La voz a ti debida_ (1933), I

* * *

Raquel knew Sergio had noticed her distance in the last days. She was starting to wonder when he would have connected all the dots. She’d always been a patient person, but also her patience had a limit after all. The worst part of deciding to let Sergio figure out their problems by himself was that Raquel had to act as normal as she could. This situation was definitely giving her a hard time.Anyway, she and Sergio were now finally laying next to each other on the hammock of their new home in the Caribbean. 

After the robbery to the Bank of Spain, back in Florence, the couple talked rapidly about changing the location for their home. They did not have a lot of time to decide because they had to escape but still they wanted to discuss that together. In fact, the Police knew that they had been in the Philippines, around Mindanao, because they had tracked a call to Raquel’s family during their investigations. Also, during the _Plan Paris,_ Raquel had to reveal to the judge every detail about the robbery, including the exact location of their old home. Sergio was the major supporter of the idea to move to an other place in the world to stay safer, but Raquel tried to convince him to stay in the Philippines anyway. She tried to persuade him that the Police didn’t expect them to stay around, at the contrary they were probably looking everywhere else except for the Philippines. In conclusion, from her point of view, they were basically safer in their old house. Maybe she said that because she really believed it or maybe because she simply couldn’t find the energy to move again after the last extenuating months and, especially, days. She definitely needed to settle. Unfortunately, suggesting something that was far from his plans to Sergio and convincing him to act against his ideas had always been a battle lost from the start. Raquel obviously lost that fight and finally agreed to find a new home home with her whole family.

However, putting all her discussions and problems with Sergio apart, Raquel couldn’t fail to notice how much he’d changed in the last few years and especially during the robbery. He became softer and less rigid with himself. Actually, he was now laying close to the sand completely dressed, and walked there without caring about the sand that was infiltrating in his shoes. One year and a half earlier he would have definitely protested to reach that hammock. He’d learned to be a good and protective father to Paula and the best man Raquel could wish to have at her side. Sergio deserved that happiness. They all deserved it. 

_“If only he could be sorry for that Nairobi problem…”_ Raquel continued thinking. But she was giving him a chance to be honest with her by settling in the Caribbean with her family. And not only her family: her former friend from the Police Academy, Inspector Alicia Sierra, had joined them too. If Sergio had won the new location battle, at least Raquel had won the ‘Alicia and her baby should have a family, I trust her’ battle.

Their travel the new island had been really wearisome. The whole gang had escaped the Bank with an old van, then run from Madrid on a helicopter. Then they’ve stayed a few days in Florence to split the remaining gold - and to make some life changing discoveries as for Raquel - and finally traveled on a ship before separating and going to their assigned locations. Raquel and Sergio stopped in Gibraltar for a day to reunite with Paula and Marivì and to start their sea trip to the Caribbean. 

The fact that Alicia insisted to come with them was an other completely different story. Raquel felt so bad about leaving her former friend alone - especially in her condition - and she’d always had this feeling she would never betray them, that she managed to convince Sergio in the end. 

Alicia was 8 months pregnant, after all. They could help her until the baby was born and then think about a solution. Sergio’s only request was that they should have watched her 24/7 and never let her use a phone or a computer. 

Raquel knew Alicia Sierra too much not to notice the latter held back a tear when they announced her she could stay with them at least for a while, until the baby was born. 

By the way, right now Raquel and Sergio were so tired that they just needed to go inside and get some sleep but it seemed that neither of them could find the energy to stand up from the hammock and walk home.

Raquel was starting to think about talking to Sergio about their future together but she wasn’t sure that was the right moment. And she wasn’t sure this could really help him to come clear with his lies. She didn’t want to force him to talk this time, and she’d made it clear with Monica back in Florence. 

At the same time, Sergio didn’t want to face a tired Raquel for the conversation he were well knew he needed to have with his girlfriend but took a deep breath and decided to say what he needed to say. 

_“I can’t think clearly because I have established too many emotional attachments. I used to have a gang with city names. Now…”_ his own voice was echoing in his head. In that moment he realized he was emotionally screwed. They all were. And he didn’t do anything to prevent it.

“I have to tell you something” he started.

_“Me too”_ the woman thought but let him talk first, she could tell him everything later. She wished what he needed to say was what she wanted to hear, so she turned to look at him and moved a hand on his chest, trying to give him some strength. It was a cloudy day, so his body warmth felt good on her skin. Surprisingly, Sergio rapidly withdrew from her touch.

“Sergio, you can tell me anything. Even if it’s bad, I can deal with it” Raquel slowly said.

“I’m not sure you can deal with _this_ ” he answered. He was hesitating to the point he seemed really scared.

“I disrespected you” spilled out the man.

Raquel’s face changed in a second. She raised her eyebrows as she was used to. She was now sure about the topic and knew that from that conversation could depend their entire integrity as a couple and as a family. And that wasn’t the right time to loose Sergio, even if he overcame her feelings. She held her breath.

“I know, Sergio” she finally admitted.

“You… _what?!?_ ”

“I know… _everything_ ” 

Raquel seemed sad but calm. 

Sergio was shocked for sure. He clearly didn’t se that coming.

“Who told you?” he asked, then he stopped “Let me guess… Tokyo” 

Raquel slowly nodded.

“The other night, while we were in Florence at the monastery. You know, Tokyo never really liked me, even if I tried to show her she was wrong about me. At the party… I don’t know if she did it on purpose or it was an error but she said it out loud - very loud - while talking to Helsinki” she stopped talking. Tried to breathe slowly before narrating the other events.

“She also had the courage to insinuate I knew everything just because we had that stupid girl-party before the robbery. I got drunk with the girls and I was high that night because you promised an other woman a child and I didn’t know! Fuck, Sergio…”

_“Now I could have a child, not with one, but with two women of the gang”_ his own words were still echoing in Sergio’s mind.

“But you didn’t believe her?” he asked, surprised that Raquel didn’t yell at him for all these days. He’d noticed she’d been distant lately but… She knew and remained silent, she stayed with him. Why?

“Of course I believed her. I already knew her enough to understand she was simply saying the truth. And almost everybody else knew too.”

“And weren’t you furious? Why are you so calm now?” Sergio asked surprised. He hated what he did but he also didn’t like Raquel decided to stay at his side anyway. He didn’t deserve her. 

“Oh, believe me, I _was_ furiously mad at you. I’ve cried, like a lot. I’ve been angry for a few hours before realizing I was just glad I didn’t know that when I was in the tent. I would have sold you to the Police for sure if I knew”

“But? There’s a ‘but’, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I believed her and I was angry, but I held on. I decided to trust you once more. I decided to hang on to what Marseille said to me on the helicopter, right before I entered the Bank… He said you called me _‘mi mujer’_ more than once while you two were together. Now I understand that he obviously already knew about your deal with Nairobi, but it doesn’t matter. And then we had to discuss about Alicia and the location and I really didn’t have the time to think about it anymore. I didn’t want to”

_“Mixing professional with personal doesn’t work”_ Sergio finally mentioned.

“This is what Marseille said to me. I’ve always known that, since the first robbery. This was the main reason I decided to put the boundaries since the beginning. But I went beyond the limits, _my own_ limits. I got too emotionally involved with you, as well as the other members of the gang. We all were a big family and I reached the point of no return. You said that to me before getting caught, but I didn’t want to see that you were right. I was in a sort of denial, but deep down I felt there was something wrong about the plan. And it surely wasn’t the fact it wasn’t mine but my brother’s. I had mixed professional with personal and it didn’t work. That thing Marseille said, made me realize that I needed to act because all of your lives were in my hands. He helped me during the hours I believed you were dead. Then I discovered you were not. I forced all of you in terrible situations and I had to save you, no matter what”

Raquel noticed that Sergio’s glance was lost, tears were starting to fill his eyes. And also hers. Then he continued.

“Now you know why I didn’t want you in the gang, I’ve never wanted to put you in danger. I tried to keep you as close to me as possible but then, suddenly, I heard the two shots and I thought I’d lost you forever. The hours I thought you were dead… they had been the worst of my life”

“I know Sergio, I felt really bad too. I couldn’t do anything to let you know I was alive. I just hoped you could hold on, and that’s what you did. I’m alive and I’m here, _cariño_ ”

“Please, Raquel, let me finish” he begged her.

“Nairobi was a great friend for me. Nothing more. I promised her a child, that’s true, but I’ve never promised her a sexual relationship. Because I’ve never wanted it. I’ve never wanted a child with her, to be honest. I should have been stronger and denied her request. But in that moment she seemed so fragile… You, and only you, are the one I want with me forever. You’re the only one I would like to have children with, to expand our already perfect family, if you’ll let me”

Sergio was now clearly crying. He felt so weak and at the same time so protected in Raquel’s embrace. She still hadn’t rejected him, she wasn’t running away to the monster he was. She was there. Supporting him.

“I know my marriage proposal in the motorhome wasn’t the one you had expected, I didn’t want to be so clumsy. I’m sorry for that, for the bad things I’ve said to you and done to you. I’m sorry for never have said _‘I love you’_ before” Sergio said, finally leaving Raquel’s embrace and getting up from the hammock. 

She sat up, surprised. 

He was fumbling with a pocket before kneeling.

“But I do. I do love you, Raquel. I hope you can forgive me one day. Would you marry me?” Sergio proposed. The ring was stunning, made of gold with a huge diamond. Sergio gave the diamond to Bogotà when they were in Italy before the robbery. He told him to design a ring for Raquel when he was melting the gold inside the Bank of Spain. Bogotà did as the Professor asked, of course, and he really did a great job.

Without asking the man had also designed and melted their wedding bands and, when he gave them to Sergio, Bogotà made sure to underline he believed Raquel would have said yes. 

Raquel couldn’t resist anymore and started crying too. They were tears of relief and joy. She was alive, at home with her family and the man she loved. She nodded and smiled behind the tears and whispered a very low _‘yes’_ , but Sergio heard very well and jumped on her. They started kissing passionately but Raquel suddenly put a hand between them.

_“Now or never”_ she thought. 

She needed to stop and tell him everything, even if her hormones were now going crazier than ever and all she wanted was having him naked instantly.

“Now that you had the chance of your monologue, it’s my turn” Raquel started saying, mocking him a bit because he made the whole conversation about him.

“I want to marry you, really, but we have to wait”

Sergio bent his head to one side, slightly disappointed.

“I simply don’t want my perfect wedding dress to be tight” she explained innocently, grinning.

“I don’t care! I like you as you are! I don’t care about your curves nor your dress. You could marry me with a dress, naked or with my t-shirt that you use to sleep and I don’t care! Let’s do it now”

“I’m sorry, Sergio, but I want a perfect wedding. I want to gather everyone, to invite the gang here. They are our friend and I want that day to be perfect. And it can’t be perfect if I’m going to look like a whale because of my belly in the next few months”

Sergio opened his mouth, incapable of saying or doing anything. He couldn’t believe Raquel’s words. 

“Yes, _cariño_ , it seems like you’re really going to be a dad, after all. A _real_ one. I'm pregnant” Raquel said, seeing his shocked face.

“I… What? How?” finally asked Sergio “I thought you were on birth control!”

“I was! But the night I got wasted with the girls at the monastery brought something good in the end, I guess. I forgot to have my pill that night”

“Don’t remind me of that day!”

“I got drunk _because_ of you. _You_ promised Nairobi a child, not me” Raquel laughed “I don’t blame her for that party. I would have done the same if I didn’t found out about this baby in the middle of a robbery”

“Don’t tell me you knew you were pregnant _before_ the robbery, please!”

“I… had suspects” Raquel confessed “I noticed I didn’t have my pill the next evening, but the chances were so low that I didn’t care so much. It was all confirmed when I was inside the Bank and started feeling nauseated. With Paula I had the same symptoms since the beginning. I think they didn’t show up until I was safe inside because of the adrenalin running inside my body”

“You _weren’t safe_ inside! You should have told me! Why didn’t you? I could have let you out of the Bank! Send you back here immediately!” Sergio screamed with concern.

“Did you forgot you were tied to a chair and Alicia was pointing a gun at your head? What could you do? Plus I guess that’s _exactly_ why I _did not_ want you to know” answered Raquel staying calm. All of that wasn’t planned at all and she knew better than anyone how things could have worked without their perfect plan.

“I hate you, Raquel” Sergio finally scoffed before collapsing at her side on the hammock and embracing her. He would have never let her go again. 

“I love you too” she whispered in the curve of his neck “Don’t worry, Sergio, this baby is a survivor. He held on even if I’m over 40, I’ve almost been shot, I escaped from the Police, I led and then ran out of a heist. The baby is safer than ever now”

“I think the wedding can wait. Paula will cry because of the joy brought by the news. We have to tell her immediately” he said caressing her stomach slowly.

Raquel smiled, relieved. She knew that news wasn’t really easy for Sergio because of his character but, as she already noticed, he had really changed for good in the last years. He seemed really happy and peaceful. 

Being with him made Raquel learn something else from life.

There are days when everything falls apart, harder than ever. There are days when people fail, no matter how hard they try. There are days where hearts shatter in a million pieces and love seems to bring only pain. There are days when people feel so small and the world looks too big. But there are days when people rise, like the blossoms in spring, stronger than ever before. There are days when everything seems to heal and people seem to forgive. There are days when past really doesn’t matter anymore. The only thing that matters is the fear people manage to overcome and the love they share.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is sadly the end of this story.
> 
> First of all I would like to thank my friend Sara who patiently read all the preview of all these chapters and supported me in publishing the story. 
> 
> Secondly, a big thanks goes to Pedro Salinas, an amazing author that, as you saw, accompanied me and you with me throughout the story. The citations at the beginning of every chapter are from his poetry compilation of 1933 "La voz a ti debida". I decided to keep them in Spanish to honor the author's work and the origins of our beloved characters.
> 
> At last, but not least, a huge thank you to all of you! I've really appreciated all your amazingly kind comments and kudos. You have no idea how much you made me happy with them. <3
> 
> Now, as you see this chapter has 3 big cliffhangers: Alicia, the marriage proposal and the pregnancy.  
> I cannot deny they are strong basis for a future new fanfiction. I'll take some days off from writing anyway, but if you'll like me to explore these events with an other work maybe I could really think about it. Let me know with a comment if you could like the idea.
> 
> Thank you again and keep safe! :D


End file.
